December 6 (1969)

After what head coach Harry Keough calls “a little get-together at the half,” St. Louis University scores four times in the second half to defeat San Francisco, 4-0, at San Jose, Calif., for the Billikens’ seventh NCAA soccer championship. The Bills’ four goals are bookended by penalty kicks converted by future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Al Trost 2 minutes into the second half and by Gary Rensing 5 minutes from the final whistle. In between, Jim Leeker and Jim Pisani score from short range. The Bills played inspired soccer two days before to defeat previously unbeaten and untied Harvard, 2-1, in the semifinals, thanks to Trost’s goal on a rebound from Gene Geiner’s shot with just 2 minutes left in regulation. The Billikens seem anything but inspired in the first half against San Francisco. “We played a so-so game in the first half,” says Keough, a future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer. “Maybe our boys were a little tight. Our passing was ragged.” Whatever is said during the “little get-together at the half” puts the Bills back on track to finish the season with a 13-0-0 record, the second perfect season in St. Louis U.’s history. The Billikens outscore their 13 opponents, 48-7.