St. John’s Falls to UConn, 2-1, in BIG EAST Opener

Friday, September 15

Storrs, Conn. (Joseph J. Morrone Stadium)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

4-2-1, 0-1-0

UConn

4-2-0, 1-0-0

St. John's (NY)

UConn

St. John’s Falls to UConn, 2-1, in BIG EAST Opener

9/15/2023 9:18:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Fleuriau Chateau nets his fifth of the season in the 61st minute

STORRS, Conn. – The St. John's men's soccer team dropped its BIG EAST opener to UConn, 2-1, at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium on Friday evening.

Striker Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau cashed in for the Red Storm (4-2-1, 0-1-0 BIG EAST), netting his fifth goal of the season. Connor Mucchetti picked up his second assist of the year with his helper on the Johnnies' lone tally.

Goalkeeper Alec McLachlan kept the game scoreless through the early going. Just nine minutes into the game, the Stockport, England native bunkered down in the box and stuffed UConn's Pierce Bateson in close. In the 19^th minute, the Johnnies' netminder punched away another point-blank opportunity from Bateson to keep the score deadlocked at zero.

UConn (4-2-0, 1-0-0 BIG EAST) continued to pressure and ultimately found the back of the net in the 28^th minute on a Scott Testori strike inside the 18 for a 1-0 edge.

After the Huskies took a one-goal edge into the break, the home team struck again, this time from Mateson just 3:08 into the second half.

The Red Storm tried to muscle its way back into the match over the next five minutes, earning back-to-back chances deep in the box from Fleuriau Chateau and Max McNulty, but both were turned aside.

St. John's pushed the pace and broke through in the 61^st minute on a stretch pass from Mucchetti in the Johnnies' defensive third. Fleuriau Chateau outworked UConn's Max Gummesson just outside the box before chipping a pass to himself and cutting the Johnnies' deficit to one, 2-1, on the tap-in.

Twelve minutes later, midfielder Macoumba Ba had a wide-open chance off a Miguel Diaz feed deep in the 18-yard box, sailing his shot over the crossbar in the 73^rd minute.

UConn nearly caught a break with a potential PK looming in the 80^th minute, but after an official video review, the call was overturned and possession remained with the Red Storm. The Johnnies and Huskies battled to the bitter end with both squads exchanging opportunities, however, UConn staved off the Red Storm's 11 second-half shots for a 2-1 victory.

St. John's will return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 19, when it heads down to Princeton for a 7 p.m. contest at Roberts Soccer Stadium.