St. John’s to Welcome Lehigh on Tuesday Night

After claiming its home opener in thrilling fashion on Friday night against Fairfield, the St. John's men's soccer team will return to action at Belson Stadium on Tuesday, playing host to the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ESPN3 with Mike Watts and Glenn Crooks on the call.

Following their win over the defending MAAC Champions on Friday, the young and talented Johnnies are off to the program's best start since 2013. That year, St. John's began the year 5-1, including a win over No. 5 Akron, en route to the Red Storm's 20th NCAA Tournament appearance.

After being kept off the scoresheet against UCSB in the team's season opener, the Red Storm has been experiencing an offensive resurgence over the past two contests. With six totals goals on the year already, the 2018 Red Storm is the first St. John's team to reach that total in just three games since 2012.

Three of those tallies have come off the cunning left foot of Matt Forster, who has needed just three games to equal his combined career goal total from his freshman and sophomore seasons. A selection to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll last Monday, Forster recorded his first collegiate brace against Loyola Marymount before scoring again against Fairfield.

A pair of freshman standouts has accounted for the team's other two goals, as Tani Oluwaseyi has scored twice and recorded two assists while classmate Skage Simonsen has chipped in a goal and two helpers. With six points through three games, Oluwaseyi is off to the best start by a St. John's freshman in terms of offensive production since Wojtek Krakowiak in 1996. That season Krakowiak went on to score 11 goals, including the game winner in the national championship match.

With six points apiece in the early going of 2018, Forster and Oluwaseyi are the first St. John's players to reach that point total in just three games since Pablo Punyed and Tadeu Terra both achieved the feat in 2010.

With a roster featuring 25 newcomers and 18 freshmen, the Johnnies have seen six first-year Division I players start at least two of their first three matches. 13 of the team's 21 points have also been recorded by freshmen.

Lehigh enters Tuesday's contest with a record of 1-2, having recently picked up its first win of the season at George Washington on Saturday afternoon. Despite playing the final 63 minutes of the match down a man, Lehigh managed to hold off the Colonials for a 1-0 victory. 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-American Mark Forrest, the Preseason Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and a selection to the watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, scored his second goal of the season to lift Lehigh to victory. Last season, Forrest finished second nationally in points (38) and third in goals (15).

Lehigh, who finished 2017 with a record of 11-7-1, was picked to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll behind Loyola Maryland and Boston University.

St. John's and Lehigh met for the first time last season, as the Mountain Hawks scored twice in the final 13:04 to top the Red Storm, 2-1. Filippo Ricupati scored the lone goal of the match for the Johnnies in the 42nd minute on a penalty kick.

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Players Mentioned

Matt Forster

Tani Oluwaseyi

Filippo Ricupati

Skage Simonsen

St. John's University Athletics