Butler Advances on Penalty Kicks in BIG EAST Quarterfinal

Saturday, November 6

Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)

5 p.m.

St. John's University

10-5-3, 5-3-2

Butler

7-8-3, 5-4-1

Butler

St. John's

The Red Storm Starting XI takes the pitch

Riyon Tori logged 110 minutes in his fourth collegiate game.

Adrian Roseth took two shots, one of which was on target.

Atila Ashrafi played 83 minutes against the Bulldogs.

Einar Lye played 97 minutes against Butler on Saturday evening.

Tani Oluwaseyi took a match-high four shots and played 72 minutes in his second appearance of the season.

Matt Chandler played all 110 minutes during the Red Storm's 11th clean sheet of the seaosn.

Wesley Leggett took two shots in 63 minutes of action.

Lucas Bartlett recorded a match-high four shots.

Rafael Bustamante played the full 110 minutes.

Butler Advances on Penalty Kicks in BIG EAST Quarterfinal

11/6/2021 9:08:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Red Storm outshot the Bulldogs, 15-8, over 110 minutes of action

By: Andrew O'Connell

QUEENS, N.Y. – After controlling the action over 110 minutes of scoreless play at Belson Stadium, the No. 24 St. John's men's soccer team saw Butler win a penalty shootout, 4-2, and clinch a spot in the BIG EAST Championship semifinals.

St. John's (10-5-3) outshot Butler 15-8 and earned 10 corner kicks to just two for the Bulldogs (7-8-3), who played the final 19:40 with only 10 men before prevailing in PKs. After the intermission, St. John's out-chanced Butler, 13-5, including a 4-0 edge in the two overtime periods.

The Bulldogs will advance to Saturday's semifinal in Washington, where they will face the second-seeded Providence Friars at Georgetown's Shaw Field. St. John's will learn their postseason fate on Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. when the NCAA airs its tournament selection show on NCAA.com.

Despite Butler advancing, the result was officially recorded as a scoreless draw. The shutout was the 11th of the year for Luka Gavran, who entered the weekend leading the nation in that category and ranking inside the top five in goals against average and save percentage. The redshirt junior, who logged four saves, now sits in a tie for fourth place on the Red Storm's single-season shutouts list, pulling even with Derby Carrillo (2009), Bill Gaudette (2002) and Jon Urbom (1992).

Lucas Bartlett, Matt Chandler, Brandon Knapp, Rafael Bustamante and Riyon Tori logged all 110 minutes for the Johnnies. Bartlett recorded a match-high four shots while Tori played more than 45 minutes for the first time in a St. John's uniform.

Making just his second appearance of the season, Tani Oluwaseyi played 72 minutes and also tallied four shots, two of which were on target.

After a back-and-forth start, St. John's turned in the game's first scoring chance in the 13th minute, earning a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, but Butler was able to clear the zone.

Playing in just his fourth collegiate game, Tori tallied the half's best scoring chance in the 31st minute, sending a shot just wide of the post and keeping the team's scoreless heading into the intermission.

On the other side of the break, Wesley Leggett and Atila Ashrafi recorded two quality scoring chances in as many minutes. Taking possession of the ball near midfield with space in front of him, Leggett sent a shot on target that was turned aside by Butler keeper Gabriel Gjergji. On the ensuing corner kick, Ashrafi headed a ball that narrowly missed the far-side post.

Butler saw its best scoring chances of regulation in the 63rd minute, as Gavran was forced to make a charging save on Nick Okoro before rushing back into this box to smother a try from Wilmer Cabrera Jr.

Less than two minutes later, Oluwaseyi logged two chances in quick succession, sending his first shot of the night just over the bar before Gjergji turned aside another strike in the 65th.

Adrian Roseth recorded the Red Storm's final two scoring opportunities in regulation, including a shot with 10 seconds to go that looked as if it might trickle in off a deflection before Gjergji came up with the stop.

Just 20 seconds into the first extra period, Butler's Perrin Barnes was sent off following his second yellow card of the night, giving the Red Storm a man advantage for the final 19:40 of play. Bartlett sent a shot on target in the 92nd minute, as did Oluwaseyi in the 98th. Gjergji, however, came up with the stop on both occasions.

Bartlett and Oluwaseyi each recorded scoring chances in the second overtime period as well, but Butler held tough and sent the match to a penalty shootout. The Bulldogs scored on all four of their PK opportunities, as Griffin DeBolt, Jack Haywood, Louie Bulger and Joel Harvey converted from the spot. Johan Aquilon and Bartlett were successful from the spot to start the shootout, but Jared Juleau's shot was saved in the third round before Einar Lye chipped it over the bar in the fourth and decisive frame.

Saturday marked the Red Storm's eighth overtime game of the fall. The Red Storm is 2-3-3 in games last longer than 90 minutes this season.