No. 5 St. John’s Falls to No. 4 Providence in BIG EAST Tournament First Round, 3-1

Sunday, October 29

Providence, R.I.

1 p.m.

St. John's University

10-6-3, 5-4-1

Providence

10-3-5, 4-1-5

St. John's (NY)

Providence

No. 5 St. John’s Falls to No. 4 Providence in BIG EAST Tournament First Round, 3-1

10/29/2023 4:19:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Red Storm finished the season with a 10-6-3 overall record

PROVIDENCE, R.I.- The fifth-seeded St. John's women's soccer team fell to fourth-seeded Providence, 3-1, in the BIG EAST Tournament First Round on Sunday.

The Friars were able to control possession and scored all three goals off of set pieces to advance to the semifinals.

Maria O' Sullivan set a new career-high with nine saves at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium. The goalkeeper surpassed her previous all-time best, when she made eight stops at Dayton on Oct. 21, 2021 while at Fordham.

O'Sullivan faced 24 shots on the afternoon turning away nine. The Ballincollig, Ireland native finishes the 2023 campaign with 56 saves and seven shutouts.

Jessica Garziano converted the penalty kick in the 89^th minute for the Johnnies first goal and 10^th of the season for the graduate student. The midfielder became the first player in program history to record double-digit goals (10) and assists (11) in a single-season.

The Melville, N.Y., native closes out her illustrious career as the program's all-time career assist leader (33), tied for the single-season assist mark (11), tied for seventh in career goals (22) and sits top-five all-time in total points (77).

The home side controlled possession in the opening half hour as the score remained level.

Providence got on the board first as a free kick from Kyla Gallagher sailed into the 18-yard box. Gillian Kenny heeded the incoming ball straight at the ground and bounced it high into the air and into the goal in the 31^st minute.

The two sides went to the locker room with Providence holding a 1-0 advantage.

As the second half began, the Friars generated a flurry of chances in front of the net. Providence fired off three shots right in front of goal in the 55^th minute. The defense blocked one headed for the back-of-the-net before O' Sullivan halted the next two attempts making a valiant effort to keep the ball from crossing the goal line. The referee went to video replay to check if a goal had been scored but the decision kept the score line at 1-0.

A few minutes later, Providence extended its lead off a corner kick when Avery Snead bounced a header home off the service from Gallagher to take a 2-0 advantage in the 59^th minute.

In the 64^th minute, Gallagher played another service from the opposite corner as the cross went to the back post where Kenny headed it home for the brace to push the lead to 3-0.

In the final minutes of the match, a Providence handball in the box led to a penalty kick for the Red Storm. Garziano stepped up to the spot in the 89^th minute and blasted one straight ahead for her 10^th goal of the season to make it 3-1.

The Red Storm concluded the 2023 campaign with a 10-6-3 overall record and its third-straight postseason appearance.