St. John’s Battles Columbia to 2-2 Draw

Sunday, August 28

New York, N.Y. (ROCCO B. COMMISSO SOCCER STADIUM)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

1-1-2, 0-0-0

Columbia

0-0-1, 0-0-0

St. John's (NY)

Columbia

8/28/2022 5:18:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Nicole Gordon and Brooke Boyd tally goals on Sunday

By: Christina Anderson

NEW YORK –The St. John's women's soccer team's clash with Columbia ended in a 2-2 draw at Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Nicole Gordon added her second goal of her senior campaign in the 10^th minute. The forward previously scored the game-winning tally in the Red Storm's (1-1-2) season opener against Saint Joseph's. Brooke Boyd recorded her first goal this year, and Jessica Garziano logged the assist for both Johnnie goals.

The Lions (0-0-1) outshot St. John's 17-15 overall, but the Johnnies held a 7-6 edge in shots on target. Corner kick opportunities were 4-2 in favor of St. John's. Goalkeeper Gina Muzi made four saves in her 90 minutes in net.

The Red Storm offense went on the attack firing a flurry of four shots in the seventh minute but none found the back of the net. Just three minutes later, Garziano sent a long ball to the waiting feet of Gordon at the top of the box. The forward flicked the ball over the Lions goalkeeper Paige Nurkin's head to put the Johnnies in front, 1-0.

In the 13th minutes the Johnnies looked to expand their led when Garziano took a penalty attempt after a handball in the Lion's box. However, the senior was unable to get her shot past a diving Nurkin.

The teams went back-and-forth with St. John's looking to break through when Garziano sent a ball towards the bottom left corner, but the midfielder had her shot saved by Columbia's keeper in the 36^th minute.

With time winding down in the first half, Garziano drew a foul to earn a free kick for the Johnnies. As she sent a ball towards the goal, it found the head of Boyd and the graduate student powered the ball past Nurkin to double the St. John's advantage heading into the break, 2-0.

Molly Feighan posted the first shot attempt of the second half for the Red Storm in the 51^st minute. From there, the Columbia offense began to turn the tides with three unanswered attempts. In the 59^th minute, the home side broke through as Maia Tabion blasted a ball past a diving Muzi to put the Lions on the board and cut the Johnnies lead in half.

Following the goal, Ava Collins nailed a shot on target, forcing the new Columbia keeper Liz Matei, to make a diving save. However, it was the only shot by the Johnnies before Columbia's equalizing goal. In the 73^rd minute the Lions took a corner kick and Shira Cohen placed a ball just past Muzi, locking up the match up, 2-2.

Looking for the game-winning tally, Gordon sent a blast into the bottom right corner in the 78^th minute. However, the senior's ball could not get by the lunging goalkeeper for Columbia. In the closing minutes, Muzi tallied two stops to keep the score knotted, 2-2, and preserve a draw for the Red Storm.

The Johnnies returns to Belson Stadium for a match with the Navy on Friday. Kick-off is slated for 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3.