EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Bronze Boot is back in Edwardsville after Ryley Gibbs' header in the 37th minute lifted SIUE men's soccer to a 1-0 win over rival Saint Louis Sunday at Korte Stadium.
The Cougars (1-3) grabbed the win in front of a home-opener crowd of 1,947 and laid claim to the Joseph Carenza, Sr. trophy for the third time in four years. It is the best stretch for the Cougars in the series since winning three straight meetings in 1978-79.
Saint Louis slipped to 2-2-1 with the defeat.
Gibbs tally, the second of his career, came after SLU failed to fully clear the ball several times. The ball came to loose ball fell to Daniel Murray, who spun a pass into the box, where Gibbs flicked it home to give SIUE a lead it would never relinquish.
Saint Louis' best chance came two seconds after the final whistle, when a cross came into the box and was headed in. The play was reviewed and confirmed to have come after time expired in the game.
SIUE goalkeeper Ioannis Koupepides made five saves to secure his first shutout as a Cougar. Saint Louis outshot SIUE 9-7 overall and held a 5-3 advantage in shots on goal. SLU goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin turned made two saves for the Billikens.
SIUE returns to the road for a Thursday matchup at Loyola-Chicago.
