St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Hosts Villanova in BIG EAST Tournament Opener
11/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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QUEENS, N.Y. - For the second-straight season and the third time in the last four, the St. John's Red Storm has qualified for the BIG EAST Tournament, earning a three seed and an opening-round home game against Villanova on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Free Kicks
The Red Storm enjoyed its best-ever record in the BIG EAST thanks in large part to its outstanding defensive play. Sophomore Diana Poulin allowed only three goals in her team's first eight conference games, while the back line helped register five shutouts against league opponents.
Six wins in the BIG EAST tied the school record for most victories in a conference season, as the 2007, 2009 and 2010 squads also notched six. In terms of winning percentage, however, this year's team (.722) turned in the top performance in program history.
This is the 12th time that the Red Storm has earned a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament. In those 12 appearances, the Red Storm has played 15 games, compiling a record of 5-9-1.
The Red Storm has one BIG EAST Tournament title to its resume, taking home the trophy in 1994, the second year of the championship's existence.
The winner of this match will go on to face second-seeded Georgetown on Friday evening at 5:00 p.m or 7:30 p.m. Game order has yet to be determined.
St. John's claimed victory in the one meeting this season between the Red Storm and Wildcats, a 1-0 win on Oct. 12.
Scouting Villanova
The Villanova Wildcats enter the BIG EAST Tournament in the sixth and final spot, having turned in an overall record of 5-9-4 with a 3-4-2 mark in conference.
A defense-oriented squad, the Wildcats recorded seven shutouts on the year, meaning that 78 percent of their wins or ties came by way of clean sheets.
The Wildcats have struggled to get on the score sheet in 2014, tallying just 15 goals through 18 games and allowing their opponents to turn in a goals against average of just 0.79.
Villanova's leading goal scorer is Victoria Gersh, who has registered three goals and two assists on the season.
Red Storm vs. Villanova - The Series
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Red Storm and the Wildcats, the first of which was a 1-0 victory for St. John's in The City of Brotherly Love on Oct. 12. Caitlyn McLaughlin scored the lone goal of the match in that win.
Overall, the Wildcats hold a 13-5-3 advantage over the Red Storm, a series history that features winning streak of five and six games for Villanova.
The Red Storm is unbeaten in its last three matches with the Wildcats, whose last victory against St. John's came in the fall of 2008, a 3-0 shutout at home.
