St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Welcomes Butler To Belson Stadium
10/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
QUEENS, N.Y. - After tying the program record for the best start to a BIG EAST conference season on Thursday night against Marquette, the St. John's Red Storm will return to Belson Stadium on Sunday afternoon, playing host to Butler for a 1 p.m. contest that will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
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With a 2-0-1 mark through three games in BIG EAST play, the Red Storm has tied the 2009 NCAA Tournament squad's school record for the best start to a conference season. That team started its BIG EAST slate with a 3-0-1 mark, pick¬ing up wins against No. 16 Connecticut, Syracuse and Louisville, while playing to a draw with Providence. Thursday's draw marked the first time in the Red Storm's series history with Mar¬quette that St. John's escaped with a point against the Golden Eagles. Heading into this year's match, the Red Storm was 0-10-0 against Marquette, but Coach Stone's squad put forth a resilient effort to take the program's first-ever point against the perennial BIG EAST power.
In Thursday's draw, several young players came up big for the Red Storm, most notably Jesse Schaefer, who netted her first career goal in the 68th minute off a corner kick. Schaefer patrolled the back line with fellow freshman Mikhaila Mar¬tinov, who made her first career start against the Golden Eagles. The Red Storm's starting line up also featured freshmen Shea Connors and Allie Moar.
Marquette's one goal on Thursday ended Diana Poulin's nearly three-week score¬less streak at 330 minutes.
SCOUTING BUTLER
Three games into its second season in the BIG EAST, Butler sports a 7-6 overall mark with a 1-2 record in conference play.
The Bulldogs come to Queens following a 4-2 loss to Georgetown on Thursday night, a contest in which the Hoyas outshot the Bulldogs by a 12-4 margin.
The Bulldogs are led on the offensive end of the pitch by senior forward Elise Kotsakis, who has seven goals on the year, good enough for fourth in the conference. Junior midfielder Sophia Maccagnone has been coming on strong as of late in BIG EAST play; however, registering two of her three tallies against conference opponents.
Sophomore Jayne Heinrich has garnered the lion's share of time in the net this season, staring 11 of the Bulldogs' 12 games and registering three solo shutouts in the process. She also sports a GAA of just 1.12.
RED STORM vs. BUTLER--THE SERIES
Despite last season being Butler's first in the conference, the Bulldogs and the Red Storm have already met twice.
The first match up came in Indianapolis on October 6, when the Bulldogs edged the Red Storm in overtime by a score of 2-1.
The two squads then met again in the conference tournament, as Rachel Daly netted a pair of goals and Miranda Haraughty tallied the game winner to lift the Red Storm over the Bulldogs in the opening round of play.
