St. John’s to Host UConn in Saturday Afternoon Showdown at Belson

QUEENS, N.Y. – Fresh off clinching a BIG EAST Tournament berth, the St. John's men's soccer team will look to extend its three-match unbeaten streak as it welcomes UConn to Queens on Saturday afternoon.

Kick-off from Belson Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday's match will be streamed on BIG EAST Digital Network, powered by FloFC, and live stats will be available on RedStormSports.com. The Johnnies will also honor tickets from the Red Storm men's basketball team's charity exhibition against Towson at noon tomorrow for all fans that make their way to Belson.

The Red Storm is currently tied for first place in the conference's East Division with No. 14 Georgetown, posting 13 points with an identical 4-1-1 mark in league play. A win on Saturday alone will clinch hosting duties in the BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals on Nov. 9. A victory and a loss or draw by Providence will clinch a top-three seed in the postseason slate. UConn, with a 3-2-1 BIG EAST record, is currently in third place with 10 points.

St. John's will make its 31st appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament after clinching its berth with a 1-0 victory at Seton Hall on Wednesday. With the win, the Red Storm also handed the Pirates its first loss at Owen T. Carroll Field this season after winning its first seven games at home.

Martin Kozak recorded his team-leading fourth goal of the season with his 25th-minute goal from the penalty dot. The Chilean striker also found the back of the net for his second-straight game. Alec McLachlan picked up his second clean sheet of the year, marking his first since blanking UAlbany on Sept. 1. The Johnnies' keeper made two saves in the contest while denying over a dozen crossed attempts from Seton Hall.

St. John's is ranked third in the BIG EAST and top 35 in the nation with 14.4 shots (28th). The Johnnies are also one of 26 teams in the nation to have a perfect penalty kick percentage and knock in three or more goals from the dot. The Red Storm will also look to record five or more conference wins for the fourth time since the BIG EAST's realignment in 2012.

Saturday's matchup will mark the 41st all-time meeting between the two programs. In a rematch of last year's BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinal, the Johnnies will look to avenge its 2-1 overtime setback to the Huskies. The Red Storm holds a 10-2-5 record against UConn in its storied history, remaining unbeaten in its last nine regular season contests.

The Huskies have battled to one win over its last five matches, going 1-3-1 since Oct. 8. Despite being outscored, 4-2, UConn has hung tough with 10.8 shots and 5.2 corners per game. The visitors' lone win came on Oct. 19 after blanking Butler, 1-0, behind a goal from Scott Testori.

Max Kerkvliet has been stellar in net for UConn, ranking among the nation's best with eight shutouts (4th), an .828 save percentage (7th) and .667 goals against average (8th). The team's .831 save percentage is also fifth in NCAA Division I.

Eli Conway and Sabri Hanni pace the team with four goals this season. Conway also leads the squad with 11 points on the year while Hanni and Testori have recorded 10 apiece.

St. John's will remain in Queens for its BIG EAST finale against Georgetown on Saturday, Nov. 2. The 2 p.m. contest at Belson Stadium will also be the team's Senior Day celebration.

St. John’s to Host UConn in Saturday Afternoon Showdown at Belson

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Players Mentioned

Martin Kozak

Alec McLachlan

St. John's University Athletics