This Week: Katie Shields, Head Coach | SLU Women's Soccer June 13, 2024

“The first decade of Katie Shields’ tenure as head coach of the Saint Louis University women’s soccer program was punctuated by unprecedented team and individual success for the 2022 Billikens.

After winning a fourth Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season championship in five years and extending its A-10 record for consecutive league tournament titles to five, Saint Louis earned a No. 2 national seed and made a fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Billikens achieved their highest-ever ranking (No. 10) in the United Soccer Coaches poll, reached No. 4 in the College Soccer News ratings – the highest ranking in any poll in program history – and cracked the Top Drawer Soccer top 10. In addition, Shields’ team landed at No. 10 in the final NCAA Division I RPI.

Powered by a school-record 18-game winning streak – longest by a Division I women’s team in 2022 – SLU posted records of 20-2 overall and 10-0 in conference play. The 20 wins set a program record and tied the A-10 women’s soccer mark; the Billikens also equaled school records of 11 home wins and nine road victories. Additional school standards were established for shutouts (15), regular-season winning percentage (17-1, .944), goals (65), assists (61), points (191) and goal differential (plus-55).

Saint Louis led the nation in winning percentage (.909), goals per game (2.95), assists per game (2.77) and points per game (8.68). The Bills finished third nationally in shutout percentage (.682) and tied for third in goals against average (0.46).

The Billikens’ team accomplishments were accompanied by the largest collection of individual accolades in program annals, topped by the naming of Lyndsey Heckel (first team), Abbie Miller (second team) and Emily Puricelli (third team) to the United Soccer Coaches All-America squads. Heckel, who became the program’s first Hermann Trophy semifinalist and received the 2023 Chalupny Award as the female soccer Player of the Year in St. Louis, garnered the initial first-team All-America nod for a SLU women’s soccer player.

Saint Louis produced a program-record 10 All-Conference performers last season, including a program-record-tying seven first-team choices. Miller was tabbed A-10 Midfielder of the Year for a second time, and Caroline Kelly garnered A-10 Offensive Player of the Year accolades. Shields won a third A-10 Coach of the Year award, and she and her staff went on to receive United Soccer Coaches East Region Coaching Staff of the Year laurels for a second time in three seasons.

In addition, Shields was one of five individuals recognized by the Saint Louis University Women’s Commission as Mary Bruemmer Women of the Year.

YEAR-BY-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS OF KATIE SHIELDS’ SLU COACHING TENURE

Now in her 11th season at the helm, Shields began the 2023 campaign with a 134-56-14 (.691) overall record that included a 112-27-9 (.787) mark over the previous seven seasons. The 112 wins are the most of any seven-year period in SLU women’s soccer history and the most in the A-10 from 2016-22. Shields ranked in the top 20 in winning percentage among active Division I women’s soccer coaches at the beginning of the 2023 season.

In addition, Saint Louis posted a 72-8-4 (.881) record vs. A-10 opponents (regular season and conference tournament) from 2016-22. During their three-year regular-season championship run (2018-20), the Billikens were undefeated (27-0-1, .982) in regular-season league competition; adding conference tournament games, the three-year record was 35-0-1 (.986) against A-10 opponents.

Shields collected her 100th career victory April 15, 2021, when the Billikens defeated Dayton 3-0 in the A-10 Championship semifinals on the home pitch of Robert R. Hermann Stadium. She coached her 200th game at SLU during the 2022 season.

During Shields’ tenure, Saint Louis players have earned All-America honors five times, All-Region plaudits 25 times and Atlantic 10 accolades (first team, second team, All-Rookie) 63 times. In addition, Billikens have been selected A-10 Defensive Player of the Year six times (six of the past seven seasons), Midfielder of the Year three times, and Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year twice each.

Shields’ Billikens have made Hermann Stadium one of the nation’s most difficult venues for visiting teams, going 62-7-6 (.867) on their home pitch from the final home game of the 2015 season through 2022. That includes a combined 29-1-2 (.938) ledger in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 campaigns.

Depth and balance are hallmarks of Saint Louis women’s soccer in Shields’ system. Twenty-one different Billikens combined to earn 44 A-10 weekly awards between 2017 and 2022. There were 46 different player combinations that accounted for the Bills’ 53 assisted goals in 2022, continuing a trend of 2017 (24 different combos on 33 assisted goals), 2018 (27 different combos on 37 assisted goals), 2019 (30 different combos on 34 assisted goals), 2020 (28 different combos on 33 assisted goals) and 2021 (22 different combos on 26 assisted goals).

After serving as a Billiken assistant coach in 2012, Shields was named the third head coach in program history on Jan. 15, 2013.

Prior to her arrival at SLU, Shields spent two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Northwestern. She served three years in the same capacities at her alma mater, Harvard, where she worked with head coach Ray Leone, who has led numerous NCAA Division I programs, and assistant coach Tracey Leone, who went on to serve six seasons as head coach at Northeastern. Shields helped guide Harvard to consecutive Ivy League titles and NCAA Tournament berths in 2008 and 2009. She coached two Ivy League Rookies of the Year, 16 All-Conference selections and six All-Region choices.

Shields began her coaching career with a one-year stint as an assistant at UC Irvine under head coach April Heinrichs, who recently served eight years as Technical Director for the U.S. Women’s National Teams.

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Shields is an assistant with the U.S. Youth National Teams staff at various training camps and international competitions. She also serves as the liaison for the state of Missouri’s U.S. Soccer Training Center. Additionally, Shields was assistant goalkeeping coach for the Boston Breakers of Women’s Professional Soccer under head coach Tony DiCicco in 2009; head coach of the Boston Bolts F.C. girls’ youth clubs for two years; and camp director/senior staff member of Soccerplus Goalkeeper School from 2006-11.

“During our search for a head coach, we engaged in exhaustive communication with National Team coaches, U.S. Soccer officials and NCAA College Cup coaches,” SLU Director of Athletics Chris May said at the time of Shields’ hiring. “They were unanimous in their support of Katie Shields as a leader who was ready to be a successful head coach.

“Katie is passionate about soccer and is committed to our department goals of educating student-athletes, competing at the highest level and building community,” May said. “We are confident she will develop a championship program by building trust, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and showing she cares about her student-athletes.”

“I am thrilled and honored to be the head women’s soccer coach at Saint Louis University,” Shields said upon her hiring. “I am grateful to the University’s administration for believing in me and my vision to lead the SLU women’s soccer program.

“Saint Louis University offers a unique combination of academic prestige, top-notch athletic facilities and a wealth of local soccer tradition, providing a world-class experience for our student-athletes.”

A goalkeeper, Shields enjoyed a distinguished playing career (2002-05) at Harvard. She garnered All-Ivy accolades all four seasons and was an All-Region honoree and team captain her senior campaign. Shields ranked fourth nationally in save percentage in 2005, set a school record for shutouts in a season and helped lead the 2004 Crimson to the NCAA Tournament.

Shields is a 2006 graduate of Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government.”

https://slubillikens.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/coaches/katie-shields/2014