St. John's University Athletics
Men's Soccer vs. Rutgers Preview Feature
10/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 24, 2007
QUEENS, N.Y. - Tonight, the men's soccer team will host Rutgers in BIG EAST conference play at 7 p.m. The match will be televised nationally on ESPNU and will feature commentary from L.A. Galaxy superstar Cobi Jones.
Due to the national coverage, stadium attendance is expected to exceed the previous record of 2,242, which was set September 21, 2001 against Wake Forest on the night of the first match played at Belson Stadium.. The match will mark the 19th meeting between both squads with St. John's leading the series 6-5-7. St. John's has been on a hot streak lately, going unbeaten in the last six games (3-0-3). The Red Storm has a record of 7-4-4 (4-1-2 BIG EAST) and has been receiving votes in the NSCAA/adidas Top-25 Poll. The squad is also ranked seventh in the Northeast Regional rankings.
The Red Storm has been paced by a steady offense all season with senior Jeff Stepan and sophomore Nelson Becerra leading the team in goals with three apiece. Junior Michael Mingione and sophomores Ryan Soroka, Adam Himeno, and Michael Luk have all added two goals apiece this season. Luk, who was recently named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll leads the team in assists and points with five and nine, respectively.
The Red Storm's backfield, which has allowed only one goal in the past six games, has been anchored by the strong play of junior Rory Quinn and sophomore David Reed.
Since the return of senior goalkeeper Jason Landers from injury, the Red Storm has gone 5-1-3, including five shutouts, a 0.52 GAA and wins over nationally ranked West Virginia, Villanova and Michigan.
Landers will be tested by a red hot Rutgers team that has gone 4-1 in its past five games, including a 3-1 upset win over nationally ranked South Florida.
Rutgers, who has posted a record of 7-7-1 (4-4-0 BIG EAST) has been led by the most recent BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week, Tomislav Barisic. Barisic, a sophomore midfielder, has scored five goals this season including two game winners against Pennsylvania and South Florida.
Senior forward Adam Sternberger has three goals and four assists on the season to put him in a tie with Barisic for the team lead in points. Freshman Dilly Duka, meanwhile, has notched two goals and four assists this season. Senior goalkeeper Matt VanOekel has been the backbone of the Scarlet Knight defense that has posted a 1.32 GAA. Van Oekel has four shutouts, as well, this season.
Currently the Red Storm is second in the BIG EAST Red Division. In first is Louisville, a team that played St. John's to a scoreless draw on October 13.
The Red Storm's last regular season home game is Saturday, October 27. The senior night matchup will put St. John's up against the DePaul Blue Demons.
