Garnette’s Late Goal Pushes St. John’s Past Princeton, 1-0

Tuesday, September 28

Princeton, N.J. (Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium)

8 p.m.

St. John's University

7-2-0, 2-0-0

Princeton

3-4-0, 0-0-0

St. John's (NY)

Princeton

Garnette’s Late Goal Pushes St. John’s Past Princeton, 1-0

9/28/2021 10:46:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Freshman’s first career tally extends Red Storm winning streak to six

By: Andrew O'Connell

PRINCETON, N.J. – The script is starting to look awfully familiar for the St. John's men's soccer team.

After both sides went almost the entirety of regulation without finding the back of the net, freshman Micaah Garnette broke the lengthy deadlock with a 79th minute goal, powering the Johnnies to a 1-0 victory over Princeton on Tuesday night at Class of 1952 Stadium.

The Red Storm (7-2-0, 2-0-0 BIG EAST), which received votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News polls, has now won six straight contests, including four in a row via the clean sheet. In each of the team's last three wins, the deciding tally has come in the 70th minute or later.

Garnette, a former New Jersey State Player of the Year at Gill St. Bernard's, recorded his first collegiate goal in his home state. Two Johnnies, Lucas Bartlett and Atila Ashrafi, picked up an assist on the play. Both Bartlett and Ashrafi now have three helpers on the season.

Luka Gavran logged his fourth consecutive shutout and his sixth in just nine opportunities this season. The redshirt junior has now gone 366:25 of gameplay since last allowing a goal. On the year, Gavran's goals against average has fallen to 0.56 while his save percentage has risen to .853.

Bartlett and Matt Chandler played all 90 minutes on the Red Storm backline. Jared Juleau, Einar Lye and Brandon Knapp also logged a full 90-minute effort on Tuesday night.

Princeton (3-4-0, 0-0-0 Ivy League) posted a number of quality scoring chances in the opening half, firing the first shot of the game off the side of the net in just the third minute of action.

Ashrafi recorded the match's first shot on goal in the seventh minute, but his long try was easily smothered by the Princeton keeper, Jack Roberts.

Over the next 20 minutes or so, Princeton continued to possess in the attacking third and, in turn, was rewarded with five corner kicks in the opening 33 minutes of action.

Beginning with a Johan Aquilon shot that sailed across the mouth of the goal in the 31st minute, the Red Storm began to register quality looks over the final portion of the opening half. Filip Kangeman had a shot deflected in front in the 33rd minute and the Red Storm looked as if they might break through in the closing seconds of the period, but the Tigers were able to quell any threats resulting from a late corner kick.

St. John's logged the first legitimate scoring chance of the second half, as a pair of Red Storm shots were blocked in the box less than four minutes following the intermission.

After another half hour of back-and-forth soccer, the Red Storm finally broke through in the 79th minute.

The sequence began with some fancy footwork from Juleau on the left side of the field, as the junior nearly faked a defender out of his cleats before sending a cross into the box that could did not find a teammate in front. The ball carried over to the far side of the field, where Ashrafi hustled to save it from going out of bounds before touching a pass toward a streaking Bartlett. Bartlett and a Princeton defender battled for position on the end line before the graduate student poked it in front to Garnette, who promptly buried it in the back of the net for the game-winner.

Princeton put forth an all-out push for the equalizer in the closing minutes, but the Red Storm held on for its sixth straight victory.

The Johnnies will look to continue their perfect start to BIG EAST play on Saturday in Storrs, as St. John's and Connecticut will face off on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports. Kick-off from Morrone Stadium is set for 7 p.m.