Mehlville Alum Shines On SLU Soccer Field

The 2010 season was a forgettable one for the Saint Louis University men’s soccer program as the Billikens went 9-7-3. That’s not a bad record for most schools, but not good enough for a program that’s won 10 national championships and produced some of the best soccer players in America.

Sophomore forward Adnan Gabeljic, a Mehlville High School graduate, scored three goals in 2010 as a freshman. That tied him for the team lead. During his senior season at Mehlville, Gabeljic notched 23 goals and eight assists en route to being named the Gatorade Missouri Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Gabeljic has high hopes for the Billikens this year.

“We have a lot of potential, a lot of the pieces,” Gabeljic said. “We’re coming in early, training together, getting the chemistry right and getting our fitness and conditioning. If it comes together in the right way, we could really do some damage this year.”

The coaching staff is headed by Mike McGinty, who is in his second year at SLU. McGinty was named the Billikens’ head coach in March of 2010, three months after he helped the University of Virginia capture the NCAA championship. McGinty is optimistic that the upcoming season will be better than his inaugural one.

“We’re returning a lot of guys with a lot of experience,” McGinty said. “We’re getting some freshmen and transfer kids that are upgrades as far as talent and ability. There’s no doubt in my mind, we’re going to be much better than what we were a year ago.”

If the Billikens are to improve, local players will almost certainly be the ones leading the charge. Of the 27 players currently listed on SLU’s 2011 roster, 15 played high school soccer in Missouri and 11 played prep soccer in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Gabeljic also said he has loved playing alongside the other St. Louis-based players.

“You’re coming in and you’ve heard about these guys. They’re all the best players from the area,” he said. “And you’ve got other good players from outside of St. Louis. It’s great to be a part of that elite group. Being able to train, compete and play as a team with those guys, it’s really exciting and fun.”

Mar Pais, a Ladue High graduate, started 10 games in goal for the Billikens last season and recorded a 1.27 goals against average. Even though SLU’s regular-season opener isn’t until Aug. 27, Pais said many members of the team are already hard at work.

“Obviously, as most people can see, our last season was pretty disappointing,” junior Pais said. “Based upon how SLU normally performs, how we’re accustomed to performing and what our standards are, it was a very disappointing season for us. (We’ve) still got a bitter taste in our mouths from that, and unfortunately (we) lost some good guys to other places. But we’re also getting in a lot of good guys. We’re looking to have a really good season and I know the coaching staff is working really hard.”

Pais said the team is motivated to capture the Billikens’ first national title since 1973.

“It’s an honor to be a part of a program that has had so much history and success in the past,” Pais said. “It’s been quite a while since we’ve been able to get another one of those championships, but that’s our goal every day when we step onto the field. That’s why we’re here all summer working our butts off, running and playing multiple times throughout the week. That’s why we do it. We don’t do it just to do it; we do it for a purpose. We’re trying to win a national championship, plain and simple.”

McGinty said that having so many local players on the team is beneficial for a couple of reasons.

“One, the kids that grow up in and around our school obviously have more of a passion, more of an affinity for the program,” McGinty said. “They bring a certain spirit and approach to being a member of the team. It’s hard for other kids to have that same emotional tie.

“The other thing is, often times when those kids graduate, they’re working in St. Louis. They’re important alumni in and around our community. So having that connection with the city of St. Louis is important for us.”

The Billikens will be tested early this season in what McGinty calls “what is most likely the hardest schedule in the country.”

SLU plays five matches against teams that qualified for last year’s NCAA Tournament. That includes a Sept. 10 home game versus Akron, the defending national champion. SLU begins conference play in the Atlantic 10 on Oct. 7.