St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Princeton
Battuto Punyed Nets Golden Goal As No. 15/15 St. John's Defeats Princeton, 3-2
9/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 28, 2011
PRINCETON, N.J. - Pablo Battuto Punyed notched his first goal of the season, a golden goal with just 4.2 seconds remaining in the second overtime, as No. 15/15 St. John's defeated Princeton, 3-2, to improve to 3-0-0 against Ivy League teams this season. Jamie Thomas scored his first-career goal and Adrian L'Esperance added a goal and an assist to lead St. John's (6-2-1), while Rafael Diaz made three saves. Cameron Porter scored two goals for Princeton (1-5-1), while keeper Max Gallin had four saves.
"This was an exciting, back-and-forth soccer game," said head coach Dr. Dave Masur. "Princeton is a great attacking team and they showed that tonight to come back from two goals down, but I am proud that our guys worked to the very end to get the win."
Princeton had the first scoring chance of the game in the 4th minute as a corner kick set up a Mark Linnville header that Diaz tipped over the crossbar for the save.
A free kick from 25-yards out set up the next opportunity for the Tigers in the in the 9th minute, but Diaz corralled a rolling shot from Joe Saitta to keep Princeton off the board.
St. John's, however, took advantage of its first scoring chance of the game to take a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute. The Red Storm dumped the ball into the offensive third and Gallin came out for a play, but was pressured and misplayed the ball 20-yards out. As two defenders retreated towards the goal line, Thomas collected the loose ball and dribbled in towards goal before pushing a shot inside the left post.
The Red Storm kept the pressure on as Walter Hines outraced a Princeton defender to set up a one-on-one with the keeper in the 20th minute, but Gallin made the stop on a low shot.
Hines nearly got on the board again in the 22nd minute, but a defensive save by Princeton kept it a 1-0 game. The forward chipped the ball past a charging Gallin and rolled a shot towards the right post, but a Princeton defender made a sliding save.
An effort by Battuto Punyed in the 36th minute went wide and St. John's took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
St. John's worked quickly after the second half began to earn a corner kick in the 48th minute. The Red Storm played it short and eventually set up a shot for Tim Parker, but the attempt was blocked by the defense. The Red Storm regained possession in the 49th minute and earned a free kick from 30-yards out, but the shot by Jimmy Mulligan was saved.
A long throw in set up a chance for the equalizer for Princeton in the 56th minute, but a header from Patrick O'Neil sailed high.
A goal by L'Esperance in the 62nd minute put St. John's up 2-0. After Daniel Herrera set up the play on the left side of the field with a through pass into the box, L'Esperance ripped a shot into the back of the net from 15-yards out.
Princeton, however, responded two minutes later to make it a 2-1 game in the 64th minute as Porter was able to chip a shot past Diaz to put the Tigers on the board.
A corner kick set up a shot for Herrera in the 69th minute as St. John's looked to regain a two-goal advantage, but Gallin tipped the shot past the endline to set up the first of two-consecutive corner kicks. The Red Storm, though, could not create any additional shots.
The Tigers then grabbed the equalizer, tying the game at 2-2 in the 76th minute. It was Porter who redirected a crossing pass from Hoppenot for his second goal of the night.
St. John's had the final opportunity of regulation, but a blast from Mulligan from just inside the 18-yard box was saved in the 88th minute and the game went to overtime.
The Red Storm racked up three corner kicks in the first overtime period, but could not score and the game moved to a second overtime.
The game remained knotted at 2-2 until the closing seconds, setting the stage for the golden goal. L'Esperance chased down a long pass that was headed towards the endline and saved it from going out of bounds. The midfielder then crossed the ball into the box and Battuto Punyed ripped a one-timer from 16-yards out for his third-career game-winner.
St. John's returns home and returns to conference action at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, hosting No. 11/11 Notre Dame.
