Second-Half Surge Lifts St. John’s Over Saint Peter’s, 2-1

Friday, September 8

Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

3-1-1, 0-0-0

Saint Peter's

0-3-2, 0-0-0

Saint Peter's

St. John's (NY)

Second-Half Surge Lifts St. John’s Over Saint Peter’s, 2-1

9/8/2023 10:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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Max McNulty and Macoumba Ba scored 1:50 apart in Red Storm victory

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's men's soccer team utilized a second-half surge with two goals in 1:50 to down Saint Peter's, 2-1, at Belson Stadium on Friday evening.

Graduate transfer Max McNulty claimed the team lead in points (8) with his third goal of the season. Fellow newcomer Macoumba Ba, who pestered the Peacocks' defenders across 81 minutes of action with several crosses and chances, netted the game-winner for the Johnnies just 1:50 after McNulty.

St. John's (3-1-1) outshot the Peacocks, 24-5, while tallying nine corners to its visitors' five on the evening. Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau led all players with five shots on next while Ba and Antek Sienkiel tallied three apiece.

Neither team saw a strong opportunity until Saint Peter's Tom Climpson headed a shot on target deep in the box, hitting Zenden Hart in the chest and corralling the opportunity in the ninth minute.

The Red Storm returned the favor with a point-blank header of its own from Nigel Griffith off a Miguel Diaz corner in the 12^th minute, but Peacocks' goalkeeper Pedro Alves turned away the chance.

In the 19^th minute, St. John's produced the best chance of the game after Ba drew a foul in the box and received a penalty kick. Antonio Biggs lined up the shot from the PK dot and sailed it just over the crossbar, keeping the game scoreless.

Ten minutes later, the Peacocks (0-3-2) took the lead on a set piece from just outside the box as Reiss Skeen bent a low shot and in around the cluster of Johnnies for a 1-0 edge in the 29^th minute, a lead the visitors took into halftime.

The game quickly turned in favor of the Red Storm in the second half, holding the Peacocks to just one shot in the final 45 minutes of the game. St. John's poured on 13 shots in the second half, several of which were high-quality chances.

The Johnnies rattled the crossbar twice in less than 45 seconds as Diaz rocketed his shot off the frame moments before Lenny Cidolit ricocheted his scorcher off the high bar, both in the 80th minute.

Cidolit redeemed himself 23 seconds later, crossing a ball from in front of Saint Peter's bench towards a cutting McNulty at the top of the box. The English striker redirected the ball off the top of his head and over the outstretched gloves of Alves to knot the game at one.

Less than two minutes later, the Johnnies caught another break as the Peacocks' Charlie Hare was called for a handball in the box, giving the Red Storm its second PK of the game. Having never recorded a penalty kick until tonight, Ba booted home his first with the Red Storm in the 83^rd minute to take a 2-1 advantage.

Goalkeeper Ryan Foley picked up his first win of the season after entering the game in the second half, keeping the Peacocks at bay for the one-goal triumph.

St. John's will return to Belson Stadium on Monday, Sept. 11 as it takes on Temple in a 7 p.m. contest. Monday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+.