St. John’s Readies for Butler in Indianapolis

QUEENS, N.Y. – Unbeaten in four straight and five of its last six overall, the St. John's men's soccer team will return to the pitch when it travels to Butler for a Saturday showdown. First kick from Sellick Bowl is set for 7 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network, available on FloFC.

The Red Storm will play its second road match in just four days when it visits the Bulldogs. Butler enters the weekend tied for fourth in the conference standings with 10 points in BIG EAST play (3-3-1) while the Red Storm is tied for sixth with nine (2-2-3). The top six teams in the final regular season standings will receive a bid to the BIG EAST Men's Soccer Championship beginning on Nov. 5.

St. John's secured its fourth consecutive result on Wednesday night on the road against a Providence team that was predicted to win the conference in the preseason. Following a scoreless first half, the Friars jumped ahead in the 58th minute on a goal from Jason Pereira. Less than 15 minutes later, the Red Storm equalized. Nigel Griffith and Antek Sienkiel began the sequence by connecting on a series of deft passes before Sienkiel found Wesley Leggett in the box. Leggett touched the ball down with his right foot before unloading with his left, finding the upper 90 and pulling the Red Storm even.

Zenden Hart played an outsized role in the the Red Storm's ability to pull out a point on Wednesday night. The reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Week made a season-high eight saves, six of which came in the second half, including two in the final 10 minutes to preserve the tie. The former Australian youth international ranks third in the BIG EAST in both goals against average (0.80) and save percentage (.829) and has logged three of the team's four victories this season.

After playing the full 90 minutes for the 13th time in 14 opportunities this season, Brandon Knapp checked in at no. 54 in the TopDrawerSoccer Midseason Top 100 on Thursday. A three-time All-BIG EAST selection, Knapp has played a majority of his time on the back line this season, helping the Red Storm log a 1.14 goals against average. The graduate student has also connected on two goals, both of which were penalty kicks.

Butler, which secured a result in four of its first five BIG EAST matches, welcomes the Red Storm on the heels of back-to-back road losses at Providence and Creighton. The Bulldogs are 5-2-1 this season in Indianapolis, with their only defeats coming at the hands of Georgetown and Indiana.

Palmer Ault, a freshman forward from Noblesville, Ind., leads the Bulldogs and ranks second in the league with eight goals on the season. Upperclassmen Wilmer Cabrera Jr. and DJ Hooks have found the back of the net five times apiece in 2022. Cabrera is a three-time All-BIG EAST selection as was tabbed to the preseason watch list for the MAC Hermann Trophy in August.

Fifth-year goalkeeper Gabriel Gjergji has started all 14 games in goal for the Bulldogs, logging a 1.34 goals against average to go along with a .710 save percentage. The Vizenza, Italy, native has played a part in four clean sheets this season.

St. John's and Butler will meet for the 14th time on Saturday night, a series history in which St. John's owns an 8-3-2 advantage. The Johnnies are 5-3-1 against Butler as BIG EAST foes.

Last season, St. John's and Butler played twice in the span of just four days. The Bulldogs ended the regular season in Queens with a 1-0 overtime victory. Just a few days later in the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals at Belson Stadium, Butler advanced past the Johnnies, 4-2, in penalty kicks after 110 scoreless minutes.

St. John's will take the pitch in Indianapolis for the first time since 2019. The Red Storm is 2-2-0 in games contested at Sellick Bowl since 2013.

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Players Mentioned

Zenden Hart

Brandon Knapp

Wesley Leggett

Antek Sienkiel

St. John's University Athletics