St. John's University Athletics
Saturday, October 12
Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)
7 p.m.
St. John's University
vs
Villanova
No. 10 St. John’s to Welcome Villanova on Saturday Night
10/11/2019 3:17:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Two of the nation’s top five defenses will meet in Queens
QUEENS, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2019) – The winners of three straight to kick off BIG EAST play for the first time since 2004, the no. 10 St. John's men's soccer team will look to stay perfect in conference action on Saturday night when it welcomes Villanova to Belson Stadium. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network with Ralph Bednarczyk on the call.
St. John's and Learfield IMG will once again team up to host an 1870 Court prior to the match just outside the gates to Belson Stadium beginning at 6 p.m. The 1870 Court will feature festival-type activities for all ages in addition to a cash bar and snacks.
The Red Storm (10-1-0, 3-0-0 BIG EAST) has emerged victorious in 10 of its first 11 games for the first time in more than two decades, last doing so during the national championship season of 1996. That year, St. John's started 10-0-1 before suffering its first loss to Syracuse on Oct. 12. Those Johnnies would go on to finish 22-2-2 and claim the University's first NCAA title. The Red Storm last won 11 of its first 12 decisions in 1993, as the squad won 13 of its first 14 appearances during a 21-game unbeaten streak to start the year.
All signs point to Saturday night's contest being a defensive battle, as the Wildcats and the Johnnies rank third and fifth, respectively, in the nation in team goals against average through games played on Thursday. Villanova (0.26) has allowed just three goals in 11 games while St. John's (0.44) has allowed five opposing goals, one of which came on a penalty kick. The other three teams in the top five of the national goals against average rankings are the only squads in Division I that have yet to suffer a loss or a tie, as Virginia (0.10) ranks first, Navy (0.18) sits in second and Missouri State (0.29) checks in at no. 4.
While Villanova may possess a slight edge in defensive prowess entering the weekend, the Red Storm enjoys a considerable advantage on the offensive end. Through games play on Thursday, the Johnnies rank second in the BIG EAST and 20th nationally with 2.18 goals per game. Villanova, on the other hand, has scored 11 times in 11 games, good enough for 148th in Division I. The Red Storm's 24 goals are the program's highest total through 11 games since 1998 (29).
Leading the way on the attack for St. John's is Tani Oluwaseyi, who tops the BIG EAST and ranks inside the top 25 nationally with seven goals on the campaign. The reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week's seven goals are the most by a St. John's player since the College Cup season of 2008, when Tafadzwa Chiduku tallied seven goals and Nelson Becerra scored eight times in 24 games for the national semifinalists. Oluwaseyi has scored four times in the team's last three games, providing the lone tally in 1-0 wins over Butler and Temple and scoring twice in a 4-0 drubbing of Marquette. Four of Oluwaseyi's seven goals on the season have been game-winners, good enough for tops in the BIG EAST and just one off the national lead in that category.
Villanova comes to Queens with a record of 7-3-1, including a 1-1-1 mark in BIG EAST play. Saturday will mark the Wildcats' third conference road match, having lost at Creighton, 1-0, after opening BIG EAST action with a scoreless draw at DePaul. Villanova recorded its first BIG EAST win last Friday night, downing Xavier, 1-0, at home. The Wildcats then earned a marquee non-conference win, downing No. 17 James Madison, 1-0, on Tuesday afternoon.
Junior goalkeeper Carson Williams has played every minute between the pipes this season for the Wildcats, recording eight shutouts in 11 chances. The Plano, Texas, product has stopped more than 92 percent of the shots on goal that he has faced this season, good enough for second in the nation behind Virginia's Colin Shutler.
Freshman Lyam MacKinnon has been the Wildcats' top producer on offense, tallying two goals and four assists for eight points in 11 appearances, 10 of which have been starts. All of MacKinnon's offensive production, however, came in the Wildcats' first four games of the season. Evan Vare, a senior who played his first two collegiate seasons at Lafayette, leads the team with three goals on the season, including the game-winner on Tuesday against the Dukes.
Villanova and St. John's are set to square off for the 39th time in the history of the two programs on Saturday evening. Last season, the Wildcats and the Johnnies traded early second half goals en route to a 1-1 tie at Higgins Soccer Complex. The last time the two teams met at Belson Stadium in 2017, St. John's overcame a third minute Villanova penalty kick thanks to a brace by Filippo Ricupati, who scored in the 69th and 102nd minutes to help St. John's pick up the win.
Dating back to the first meeting between the teams in 1984, St. John's is 23-9-6 all-time against Villanova. From 1991-2003, St. John's rattled off 15 consecutive wins against the Wildcats. Villanova has gained the upper hand of late; however, as the Johnnies own just that one win against the Wildcats in the new configuration of the BIG EAST.
St. John's and Learfield IMG will once again team up to host an 1870 Court prior to the match just outside the gates to Belson Stadium beginning at 6 p.m. The 1870 Court will feature festival-type activities for all ages in addition to a cash bar and snacks.
The Red Storm (10-1-0, 3-0-0 BIG EAST) has emerged victorious in 10 of its first 11 games for the first time in more than two decades, last doing so during the national championship season of 1996. That year, St. John's started 10-0-1 before suffering its first loss to Syracuse on Oct. 12. Those Johnnies would go on to finish 22-2-2 and claim the University's first NCAA title. The Red Storm last won 11 of its first 12 decisions in 1993, as the squad won 13 of its first 14 appearances during a 21-game unbeaten streak to start the year.
All signs point to Saturday night's contest being a defensive battle, as the Wildcats and the Johnnies rank third and fifth, respectively, in the nation in team goals against average through games played on Thursday. Villanova (0.26) has allowed just three goals in 11 games while St. John's (0.44) has allowed five opposing goals, one of which came on a penalty kick. The other three teams in the top five of the national goals against average rankings are the only squads in Division I that have yet to suffer a loss or a tie, as Virginia (0.10) ranks first, Navy (0.18) sits in second and Missouri State (0.29) checks in at no. 4.
While Villanova may possess a slight edge in defensive prowess entering the weekend, the Red Storm enjoys a considerable advantage on the offensive end. Through games play on Thursday, the Johnnies rank second in the BIG EAST and 20th nationally with 2.18 goals per game. Villanova, on the other hand, has scored 11 times in 11 games, good enough for 148th in Division I. The Red Storm's 24 goals are the program's highest total through 11 games since 1998 (29).
Leading the way on the attack for St. John's is Tani Oluwaseyi, who tops the BIG EAST and ranks inside the top 25 nationally with seven goals on the campaign. The reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week's seven goals are the most by a St. John's player since the College Cup season of 2008, when Tafadzwa Chiduku tallied seven goals and Nelson Becerra scored eight times in 24 games for the national semifinalists. Oluwaseyi has scored four times in the team's last three games, providing the lone tally in 1-0 wins over Butler and Temple and scoring twice in a 4-0 drubbing of Marquette. Four of Oluwaseyi's seven goals on the season have been game-winners, good enough for tops in the BIG EAST and just one off the national lead in that category.
Villanova comes to Queens with a record of 7-3-1, including a 1-1-1 mark in BIG EAST play. Saturday will mark the Wildcats' third conference road match, having lost at Creighton, 1-0, after opening BIG EAST action with a scoreless draw at DePaul. Villanova recorded its first BIG EAST win last Friday night, downing Xavier, 1-0, at home. The Wildcats then earned a marquee non-conference win, downing No. 17 James Madison, 1-0, on Tuesday afternoon.
Junior goalkeeper Carson Williams has played every minute between the pipes this season for the Wildcats, recording eight shutouts in 11 chances. The Plano, Texas, product has stopped more than 92 percent of the shots on goal that he has faced this season, good enough for second in the nation behind Virginia's Colin Shutler.
Freshman Lyam MacKinnon has been the Wildcats' top producer on offense, tallying two goals and four assists for eight points in 11 appearances, 10 of which have been starts. All of MacKinnon's offensive production, however, came in the Wildcats' first four games of the season. Evan Vare, a senior who played his first two collegiate seasons at Lafayette, leads the team with three goals on the season, including the game-winner on Tuesday against the Dukes.
Villanova and St. John's are set to square off for the 39th time in the history of the two programs on Saturday evening. Last season, the Wildcats and the Johnnies traded early second half goals en route to a 1-1 tie at Higgins Soccer Complex. The last time the two teams met at Belson Stadium in 2017, St. John's overcame a third minute Villanova penalty kick thanks to a brace by Filippo Ricupati, who scored in the 69th and 102nd minutes to help St. John's pick up the win.
Dating back to the first meeting between the teams in 1984, St. John's is 23-9-6 all-time against Villanova. From 1991-2003, St. John's rattled off 15 consecutive wins against the Wildcats. Villanova has gained the upper hand of late; however, as the Johnnies own just that one win against the Wildcats in the new configuration of the BIG EAST.
Players Mentioned
Forward/Midfielder
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
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