CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Saint Louis Billikens picked the perfect time to collect their first Atlantic 10 Conference road win in two years.

Knowing that a loss would erase any possibility of qualifying for the conference tournament, the Billikens dug deep and posted a 1-0 victory over Charlotte Friday night at Transamerica Field.

With one game remaining – Sunday at George Washington – Saint Louis (5-8-4, 3-3-2 A-10) is in 10th place in the league standings. A win over GW clinches a spot for the Billikens in the eight-team A-10 Championship, slated for next week in Kingston, R.I. If the Bills tie, their tournament fate would be determined by the outcomes of other Sunday games. A loss would eliminate SLU.

The win was the first A-10 road triumph for SLU since late in the 2010 campaign. The Billikens, who toppled Charlotte 2-1 last year, have defeated the 49ers in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2004-05.

Jessie Jarrett, assisted by Kailey Pretzlaff, tallied her first goal of the season at the 55:25 mark. Jarrett took Pretzlaff’s cross from the left side and tucked a shot inside the far post. The helper was the first of Pretzlaff’s career.

Katie Walsh was strong in goal for Saint Louis. The senior keeper stopped six Charlotte shots on frame, including four in the second half.

Charlotte slipped to 10-6-2 overall and 4-3-1 in the A-10.

The SLU-George Washington contest is scheduled for noon (CT) Sunday, but game time may be pushed up to 10 a.m. (CT) due to Hurricane Sandy. Check www.SLUBillikens.com for updates.