Simonsen Lifts St. John’s Past Temple, 1-0, in Overtime

Saturday, September 8

Philadelphia, Pa. (Temple Sports Complex)

7:00 P.M.

St. John's University

3-2

Temple

2-3

OT 3

St. John's

Temple

Simonsen Lifts St. John’s Past Temple, 1-0, in Overtime

9/8/2018 10:22:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Freshman nets his second goal of the season in the 100th minute

For the second time this season, a St. John's freshman delivered overtime heroics to lift the Red Storm to victory, as Skage Simonsen recorded a golden goal in the 100^th minute to push the Johnnies past Temple, 1-0, on Friday night.

After recording two corners kicks earlier in overtime that resulted in good chances with no results, the Red Storm (3-2) earned a third opportunity with less than a minute remaining in the period. Matt Forster stepped over the ball and delivered a left-footed in-swinger to the near post, where a waiting Simonsen headed it past the Temple keeper and sealed the victory for St. John's.

Simonsen's game winner, his second goal of the season, marked the second time in the team's last three outings that a freshman powered the Johnnies to victory in overtime. Tani Oluwaseyi recorded an extra-time tally against Fairfield last Friday night at Belson Stadium.

Forster's assist bumped his team-leading point total to seven.

Lenny Wilson recorded his 17th career clean sheet and his first as a member of the Red Storm. The senior from Aberdeen, Scotland, turned aside all three Temple tries that found their target.

Freshman Luke Hansen made his collegiate debut for the Red Storm on Friday, becoming the 14th first-year Johnnie to take the pitch this season.

The two teams played evenly throughout the first half, as each managed just one shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes.

Temple controlled the first 10 minutes of the second half, but the Red Storm quickly turned the tide.

In the 58^th and 59^th minutes, the Red Storm recorded consecutive corners that each resulted in a solid scoring chance, but narrowly missed their ultimate target. Johan Aquilon pushed a header just wide on the first try before Benny Lafortune sent a shot over the bar on the latter opportunity.

In the 65^th minute, Forster performed a series of clever maneuvers to evade his defenders and secure an open shot, but Simon Lefebvre smothered the try for Temple and kept St. John's off the board. The junior midfielder chipped the ball over the head of two Owl fullbacks to create the initial separation.

The Johnnies recorded what was arguably their best chance of the second half in the 87^th minute, as Simonsen sent a cross from the right side toward the penalty spot. A sliding Niko Petridis put good force behind it, but his try missed just wide of the post. Petridis recorded a team-high three shots on the evening.

The Red Storm dominated possession in overtime before finally breaking through in the 100^th minute on Simonsen's goal. After trailing Temple, 7-2, in corners earned during the first half, St. John's was awarded eight corners to the Owls' two in the final 55 minutes of play.

The Red Storm returns to action on Tuesday, playing host to Loyola Maryland at 7 p.m.