December 5 (1970)

St. Louis University wins its eighth NCAA championship by defeating UCLA, 1-0, in the final before 8,000 fans at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Jerry Yeagley called the 1970 St. Louis U. team “the best Billiken team among many good ones I’ve seen in the last nine years.” The future Indiana University coach, whose Hoosiers wlll win six NCAA titles, is on target with his assessment of the 1970 Bills. They feature future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Al Trost and forward Mike Seerey, who will each win the Hermann Trophy twice as college soccer’s top player. A third Billken, freshman Dan Counce, also will win the Hermann Trophy. But the talent doesn’t end there. The team is full of future professional players who combine to create an offense that averages four goals per regular-season game and gives up only four goals the entire season to collegiate opponents. (The Bills also defeated the professional St. Louis Stars, 4-2, in an exhibition match on Oct. 3.) Against UCLA, a team dominated by foreign-born players, the homegrown Billikens get the game-winner from Denny Hadican, a freshman reserve forward, who heads in Seerey’s cross in the third quarter. Hadican, along with freshman forward Jim Bokern and sophomore back Pat Leahy, are the only substitutes head coach Harry Keough uses throughout the match. Keough, a future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer, says the conditioning by assistant coach Val Pelizzaro is the difference. “I believe you can give credit to . . . Val for keeping the fellows in peak condition,” Keough says after the championship match. “Val’s always emphasizing fitness and keeps the boys razor sharp, which they were for this all-out effort against UCLA.” The Bills end the season 14-0-1, with the only blemish a scoreless tie with NAIA runner-up Quincy College. The Bills run their unbeaten streak to 28 games. (The streak eventually will reach 45 before the Bills lose.) The win over UCLA breaks the Bruins’ 16-game winning streak.