St. John’s Defeats UConn in PKs, Advances to BIG EAST Semifinal

Sunday, October 30

Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)

1 P.M.

St. John's University

7-4-7, 4-2-4

Connecticut

8-6-4, 4-4-3

UConn

St. John's (NY)

Photo by: BWILLSCHPHOTO

Gina Muzi made two crucial penalty saves to give the Red Storm the victory.

Photo by: BWILLSCHPHOTO

Isabelle Aviza scored the game-tying goal, her third of the season.

Photo by: BWILLSCHPHOTO

Photo by: BWILLSCHPHOTO

Photo by: BWILLSCHPHOTO

St. John’s Defeats UConn in PKs, Advances to BIG EAST Semifinal

10/30/2022 5:42:00 PM | Women's Soccer

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Michelle Money converted the game-clinching penalty

By: Alex Whisnant

QUEENS, N.Y. - After a 1-1 draw in double overtime, the St. John's women's soccer team prevailed in the penalty shootout over Connecticut, 4-2, to advance to the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Championship on Sunday afternoon at Belson Stadium.

Isabelle Aviza scored the game-tying goal in regulation, her third of the season, on her only shot attempt of the afternoon, Ava Collins tallied her second assist of the season on the marker. Jessica Garziano led the way in total shots with four and one attempt on target. Collins and UConn transfer Melina Couzis had two shots apiece, and four other Johnnies had one attempt each.

Gina Muzi started her 18^th game of the season in goal for the Johnnies, logging two saves in 110 minutes of game action and adding two crucial saves in the penalty shootout. Despite allowing a goal on Sunday, Muzi still holds a stingy goals-against average of 0.74.

As a team, the Red Storm outshot the Huskies, 12-8, with six of those 12 attempts being on target. St. John's also held the edge in corner kicks, 5-2.

Both teams found offensive opportunities early on, combining for five shots with in the first 18 minutes of action. In that span, Garziano had two attempts that were close but sailed over the crossbar.

Collins and Brooke Boyd both had a look at net in the 21^st and 32^nd minute, respectively, but both attempts failed to find the net.

The Red Storm and Huskies went into the locker room locked at zero after 45 minutes of play.

Coming out of the break, it was the Huskies that found the first breakthrough of the afternoon. Laci Lewis used her right foot to loft a pass for Chioma Okafor on the right side of the box, and Okafor used her head to power the ball past Muzi and give the Huskies the 1-0 lead in the 52^nd minute.

The Johnnies showed resiliency and responded with a score of their own in the 69^th minute. Off a corner kick, the ball deflected off several bodies in the penalty box before it found the head of Collins, who found the feet of Aviza. The senior forward used her right boot to fire the ball off the crossbar and over the line to even the game at one with 21 minutes to go in regulation.

Both defenses held firm for the remainder of the second half, and the match headed to overtime with St. John's and Connecticut tied at one goal each.

The Red Storm thought they had pulled ahead in the 100^th minute as Collins redirected a Gordon shot attempt into the bottom right corner, but Collins was ruled offside, disallowing the goal.

St. John's held the lead in shots in overtime, 3-1, but the Johnnies could not find the game-winner, and the Red Storm and Huskies headed to a best-of-five penalty shootout.

The Johnnies scored on four of their five opportunities as Garziano, Molly Feighan and Couzis all converted from the spot before Michelle Money scored the decisive penalty to seal the victory for the Red Storm.

St. John's will return to action on Thursday when it travels to Boyds, Md., to take on the No. 2 seed Xavier in the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Championship. Kick-off from the Maryland SoccerPlex is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will air on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.