October 11th (1958)

Oct. 11, 1958: Soccer kicks off in a modest way at St. Louis University as the Bills play their first match, a 1-1 tie with Wheaton College, at Hickey Field in St. Louis. Soccer is a club sport on a trial basis at St. Louis U. in 1958. New St. Louis U. athletic director Bob Stewart is looking for a fall sport to fill a void vacant since the school dropped football following the 1949 season. With the NCAA to sanction soccer starting in 1959 and the St. Louis area loaded with potential players, soccer is a natural for St. Louis U. The team, known as the Billiken Soccer Club, is coached by CYC sports director Bob Guelker. The Bills will learn quickly after soccer becomes a varsity sport in 1959. They will capture the first-ever NCAA soccer championship in 1959, and will go on to win nine more through 1973 under future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famers Guelker (SLU coach from 1959-66) and Harry Keough.