St. John’s Takes Down No. 13 Providence, 2-0

Wednesday, March 10

Providence, R.I. (Anderson Stadium)

3 p.m.

St. John's University

4-2-0, 2-2-0

No. 13 Providence

3-1-1, 2-1-1

Team	1	2	Final F
St. John's	0	2	2
Providence	0	0	0

3/10/2021 5:52:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Red Storm defeats Providence for the first time since 2009

By: Andrew O'Connell

Entering the second half of Wednesday's match against St. John's, No. 13 Providence had yet to allow a goal this season in nearly 450 minutes of game play. By the time the final whistle sounded, that number stood at two, as the Johnnies came on strong late and left Providence with a 2-0 victory.

The Red Storm (4-2-0, 2-2-0 BIG EAST) picked three crucial points in the conference standings and snapped a nine-game winless streak against the Friars dating back to 2013.

Tani Oluwaseyi, who missed the Red Storm's Saturday loss to Villanova, entered the game in the 58^th minute. Over the final half hour, Oluwaseyi managed to score the game-winner and pick up an assist on the Red Storm's insurance goal. Oluwaseyi, the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and a selection to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, now has five goals in as many appearances this season and has scored all four of the team's game winners.

Oluwaseyi's first goal, a header in the 63^rd minute, came off an entry pass from Drew Rosen. The helper was the first of Rosen's St. John's career.

In the final minute of game action, Oluwaseyi carried the ball down the left side before sending a pass into the middle of the field for Wesley Leggett. The sophomore promptly sent a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the cage past the outstretched hand of a diving Rimi Olatunji. Leggett, who had missed the last three games, found the back of the net for the second time in jus three games this season.

Goalkeepers Luka Gavran and Jan Hoffelner combined to log their third clean sheet in six opportunities, but the team's lone save of the afternoon was made by a field player, Johan Aquilon.

After the first 10 minutes were played primarily in the midfield, the Friars began to control possession. In the span of eight minutes, Providence fired off four shots, one of which had to be turned aside on the goal line by Aquilon.

Following Aquilon's goal-line heroics, the Red Storm began to play more in the attacking third. Tommy Scalici recorded the Johnnies' first shot of the game in 22^nd minute before Ossian Hallberg, who made his collegiate debut, narrowly missed tucking one inside the right post three minutes later.

An Einar Lye shot in the 31^st minute that was stopped by an Olatunji diving save would be the Red Storm's last scoring chance of the half, as the two teams entered the intermission in a scoreless tie.

After the break, the Red Storm began to control the contest.

Following a number of solid looks at the net, the Johnnies broke through in the 63^rd minute with Oluwaseyi's eventual game winner.

Oluwaseyi narrowly missed making it a 2-0 game in the 67^th minute with another header, but the Red Storm was not deterred.

After assisting on Oluwaseyi's opening goal, Rosen nearly added one of his own in the 77^th minute, but a Providence field player was able to make a stop on the goal line.

The Red Storm will continue its road swing on Saturday in the nation's capital when it takes on No. 3 Georgetown, the defending national champion. Kick-off is set for 12 p.m. at Shaw Field.