St. John's University Athletics
Seton Hall Upends St. John', 4-2
9/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
The Red Storm fall to 5-3-0 overall and 4-1-0 in the league, with the loss ending a five-game win streak. Seton Hall improves to 4-1-2 overall and 2-0-2 in the BIG EAST.
After falling behind 2-1 in the first half, the Pirates mounted a furious comeback that resulted in three second-half goals. Seton Hall drew even with St. John?s at 53:12 when Sacha Kljestan sent a free kick into the box that Steve Stoute headed in.
The game-winning goal came on a bizarre play, with Mike Zotti tapping in for a score at 79:48. A St. John?s defender attempted to send the ball back to Red Storm goalkeeper Guy Hertz (Ramat-Hasharon, Israel), who had it slip under his feet as he went to clear it. Zotti picked up the loose ball and put it into the empty net.
The Pirates sealed the win with a goal from Zotti at 89:57.
St. John?s had a chance to tie in the 87th minute when sophomore Sebastian Alvarado-Ralph (Gothenburg, Sweden) had a shot in front of the goal from close range that was cleared.
The Red Storm had taken a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. The first goal came at 26:36 from junior Matt Groenwald (Mt. Prospect, Ill.), his fifth this season. A throw-in from Chris Leidner (Greenlawn, N.Y.) deflected off of Ryan Kelly (Marlton, N.J.) to Chris Corcoran (Marshfield, Mass.), who passed it back to the near post. Groenwald moved past a Pirate defender and sent a shot past goalkeeper Boris Pardo.
Less than two minutes later, senior Simone Salinno (Lucera, Italy) scored his sixth goal of the season, giving St. John?s a 2-0 lead at 28:05. After a restart, senior Chris Wingert (Babylon, N.Y.) sent the ball to the box, where Salinno leaped and sent his header over the reach of Pardo.
The Pirates narrowed the lead, however, when Kljestan scored on a penalty kick at 36:39. St. John?s had a shot to take a 3-1 lead at the break when Corcoran fouled 32 yards out, resulting in a free kick for Wingert, whose kick sailed over the wall and was met by Kelly. Kelly?s header was on target, but Pardo made the save with 3:51 left in the first half.
The Pirates had a pair of chances in the second half, starting with a shot in the 53rd minute, from David Roman, that was saved by Red Storm freshman defender Georgios Spanos (West Islip, N.Y.). Roman took a pass in the box, with a defender on him, but was able to get a shot off before Red Storm keeper Guy Hertz (Ramat-Hasharon, Israel) could stop it. Spanos, however, came in just as the ball was bouncing before the goal line and cleared it to prevent the goal.
St. John?s appeared ready to break the tie in the 63rd minute on a corner kick from senior Angel Rodriguez (Toms River, N.J.). His corner sailed over the box, where Wingert headed back to the middle and was met by Leidner, whose header from six yards out went high. A minute later, Seton Hall?s Jerrod Laventure dribbled on the near side and sent a cross to the box that was on target, but Hertz punched it out before the shot attempt. The Red Storm returned the threat, with Kelly picking up a loose ball, dribbled forward and was fouled just outside the box. The resulting indirect kick was blocked. With 18 minutes remaining, Kelly won a 50-50 ball and sipped a pass through traffic to Groenwald. Groenwald dribbled forward, but with Pardo and two defenders in front of him, played the ball back to Kelly, whose shot was blocked. In the 64th minute, with Seton Hall pressing, Pirate forward Luke Vercollone.
Seton Hall out shot St. John?s, 10-7, while the Red Storm had five corner kicks to Seton Hall?s one.
St. John?s returns to action Saturday, playing a non-league game at William & Mary at 5 p.m.
