St. John's University Athletics
Friday, September 23
Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)
7 p.m.
St. John's University
vs
Villanova
St. John’s to Host Villanova on Friday Night in Queens
9/22/2022 2:18:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Kick-off from Belson Stadium set for 7 p.m. on BEDN
QUEENS, N.Y. (Sept. 22, 2022) – The only BIG EAST men's soccer team to win a match during the opening weekend of league play, the St. John's Red Storm will return to action on Friday night when it hosts Villanova. Kick-off from Belson Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network, available on FloFC.
After dropping a 1-0 decision at Columbia to close pre-conference play earlier in the week, the Red Storm rebounded with a tremendous effort against the defending BIG EAST Champions last Friday night at Belson. Nigel Griffith started the scoring in the second minute, poking the ball away from Georgetown keeper Ethan Koehler and into the back of the net. Brandon Knapp converted on a penalty kick in the 23rd minute to make it a 2-0 game before Georgetown responded less than three minutes later off an indirect free kick to cut the lead in half. With the Hoyas pressing late in the match, Antek Sienkiel sealed a St. John's victory in the 83rd minute, burying a left-footed strike from 25 yards out.
Goalkeeper Zenden Hart was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Monday after stopping three of the four Georgetown shots on goal he faced. In five appearances on the season, Hart has not allowed multiple goals in a single match, boasting a 0.80 goals against average and a .778 save percentage.
Knapp was also recognized for his performance against Georgetown, earning a spot on Tuesday's TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week. In addition to scoring the eventual game-winner, Knapp also logged all 90 minutes on the St. John's backline and helped limit a potent Hoyas offensive attack.
Friday's match against Georgetown marked the first time that St. John's has been outshot this season, as the Hoyas earned 12 chances to the Red Storm's nine. On the campaign, the Johnnies are outshooting their opponents by an average margin of 10.7 to 7.3, including a 15-3 edge over then-No. 18 FIU and an 11-9 advantage against Indiana in Bloomington.
St. John's will look to start BIG EAST play with back-to-back wins for the third time in the last four seasons.
Villanova comes to Queens with a record of 2-2-2 after playing BIG EAST preseason favorite Providence to a 1-1 draw at home this past Saturday.
The Wildcats opened the season with three games against high-major opponents, falling to Stanford, 1-0, before playing Cal to a 1-1 draw. Upon returning home from The Bay Area, Villanova handed Northwestern a 4-0 defeat at Higgins Soccer Complex.
Four different Wildcats have found the back of the net twice this season: Balthi Saunders, Akinjide Awujo, Viktor Benediksson and Lyam MacKinnon. Last season, MacKinnon was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after scoring eight goals and dishing out six assists for 22 points.
Graduate student Kent Dickey has played every minute between the pipes this season for Villanova. His .871 save percentage leads the BIG EAST while his 0.67 goals against average ranks second. He currently ranks 11th nationally in save percentage and 19th in GAA.
St. John's and Villanova will meet for the 42nd time in the history of the two programs on Friday night, a series that has favored the Red Storm, 25-10-6, since 1984.
The Red Storm is 3-1-1 in its last five against Villanova, including a 1-0 overtime win last season in Pennsylvania. Lucas Bartlett scored on a penalty kick in the extra period, one of his team-high five goals last season. Bartlett went on to be selected sixth overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
The last time they visited Queens, the Wildcats came away with a 1-0 overtime victory in the spring of 2021, as Josh Belluz scored in the 95th minute off an assist from MacKinnon.
St. John's is 15-3-2 all-time in home games against Villanova.
After dropping a 1-0 decision at Columbia to close pre-conference play earlier in the week, the Red Storm rebounded with a tremendous effort against the defending BIG EAST Champions last Friday night at Belson. Nigel Griffith started the scoring in the second minute, poking the ball away from Georgetown keeper Ethan Koehler and into the back of the net. Brandon Knapp converted on a penalty kick in the 23rd minute to make it a 2-0 game before Georgetown responded less than three minutes later off an indirect free kick to cut the lead in half. With the Hoyas pressing late in the match, Antek Sienkiel sealed a St. John's victory in the 83rd minute, burying a left-footed strike from 25 yards out.
Goalkeeper Zenden Hart was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Monday after stopping three of the four Georgetown shots on goal he faced. In five appearances on the season, Hart has not allowed multiple goals in a single match, boasting a 0.80 goals against average and a .778 save percentage.
Knapp was also recognized for his performance against Georgetown, earning a spot on Tuesday's TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week. In addition to scoring the eventual game-winner, Knapp also logged all 90 minutes on the St. John's backline and helped limit a potent Hoyas offensive attack.
Friday's match against Georgetown marked the first time that St. John's has been outshot this season, as the Hoyas earned 12 chances to the Red Storm's nine. On the campaign, the Johnnies are outshooting their opponents by an average margin of 10.7 to 7.3, including a 15-3 edge over then-No. 18 FIU and an 11-9 advantage against Indiana in Bloomington.
St. John's will look to start BIG EAST play with back-to-back wins for the third time in the last four seasons.
Villanova comes to Queens with a record of 2-2-2 after playing BIG EAST preseason favorite Providence to a 1-1 draw at home this past Saturday.
The Wildcats opened the season with three games against high-major opponents, falling to Stanford, 1-0, before playing Cal to a 1-1 draw. Upon returning home from The Bay Area, Villanova handed Northwestern a 4-0 defeat at Higgins Soccer Complex.
Four different Wildcats have found the back of the net twice this season: Balthi Saunders, Akinjide Awujo, Viktor Benediksson and Lyam MacKinnon. Last season, MacKinnon was named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team after scoring eight goals and dishing out six assists for 22 points.
Graduate student Kent Dickey has played every minute between the pipes this season for Villanova. His .871 save percentage leads the BIG EAST while his 0.67 goals against average ranks second. He currently ranks 11th nationally in save percentage and 19th in GAA.
St. John's and Villanova will meet for the 42nd time in the history of the two programs on Friday night, a series that has favored the Red Storm, 25-10-6, since 1984.
The Red Storm is 3-1-1 in its last five against Villanova, including a 1-0 overtime win last season in Pennsylvania. Lucas Bartlett scored on a penalty kick in the extra period, one of his team-high five goals last season. Bartlett went on to be selected sixth overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.
The last time they visited Queens, the Wildcats came away with a 1-0 overtime victory in the spring of 2021, as Josh Belluz scored in the 95th minute off an assist from MacKinnon.
St. John's is 15-3-2 all-time in home games against Villanova.
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Forward
/ Men's Soccer
Midfielder/Defender
/ Men's Soccer
Midfielder/Defender
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