St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Mens Soccer Maintains No. 1 National Ranking
10/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
St. Johns improved to 8-1-2 overall after winning the Rutgers Classic for the fourth time in the 17-year history of the event. The Red Storm were impressive in a 4-0 win over Old Dominion on Friday night and met ninth-ranked UCLA on Sunday afternoon, finishing with a scoreless tie. The win and the tie gave the Red Storm the team championship based on goal differential.
Two national polls kept the Red Storm as the No. 1 team in the country, Soccer America and CollegeSoccerNews.com. St. Johns was rated third in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas poll.
The Red Storm have been led by a bevy of players this season, including junior captain Chris Wingert (Babylon, N.Y.), who was named the BIG EASTs Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season on Monday. Wingert, who starts at center-back, led St. Johns to its fourth-straight shutout, and ninth this season. The Red Storm defense has not allowed a goal in the last 450:13, and has allowed only one goal in the last 900:13, since fifth-ranked Wake Forest scored early in the second half of a 1-1 tie. The NCAA record for consecutive minutes without allowing a goal is 900, set by Randy Phillips of Southern Methodist (9/27/80 to 11/5/80).
St. Johns has allowed only three goals in 1,039:07 this season, a goals against average of 0.26. Junior goalkeeper Bill Gaudette (Hummelstown, Pa.), the BIG EASTs Goalkeeper of the Week last week, carries an 8-1-2 record and a 0.26 goals against average (the NCAA record is 02.6, set by John Putna of Indiana in 1978 and Trey Harrington of Evansville in 1990).
The Red Storm travels back to New Jersey on Wednesday, facing off against one of their chief rivals, Rutgers University, at 7 p.m. on Yurcak Field. This series is one of the fiercest in the conference. St. Johns Head Coach Dave Masur, an All-American during his playing days at Rutgers, faces his college coach, Bob Reasso. The teams have met 12 times prior to Wednesdays match, with the series record split right down the middle, 4-4-4. St. Johns carries a 3-1-2 record in the last six meetings and is 3-2-1 at Rutgers. All 12 meetings have been decided by one goal, and seven of the matches have gone to overtime.