Nigel Griffith’s Senior Day Brace Lifts St. John’s Over No. 18 Georgetown, 2-0

Saturday, November 2

Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

7-5-5, 5-1-2

No. 18 Georgetown

8-4-5, 5-2-1

Georgetown

St. John's (NY)

Nigel Griffith’s Senior Day Brace Lifts St. John’s Over No. 18 Georgetown, 2-0

11/2/2024 5:41:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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The Red Storm split BIG EAST East Division title with Providence after victory over Hoyas

QUEENS, N.Y. – A brace on Senior Day from Nigel Griffith powered the St. John's men's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over No. 18 Georgetown at Belson Stadium on Saturday.

The Red Storm (7-5-5, 5-1-2 BIG EAST) also secured the Co-BIG EAST East Division title with Providence and earned the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. St. John's will host sixth-seeded Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Soccer Championship Quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 9, in a 5 p.m. tilt from Belson Stadium.

Griffith, who was honored during Senior Day festivities prior to Saturday's win, bumped his goal total to four on the season after logging his first career brace. The Stroudsburg, Pa., product netted both of his shots across just 36 minutes in reserve.

Julian Jakopovic matched his career-high in assists (4) and points (6) after logging a helper against the Hoyas. Augustine Boadi provided the primary assist on Griffith's second goal of the contest.

With the win, the Johnnies secured its first win against a ranked BIG EAST opponent at Belson Stadium since Sept. 20, 2019, when the team took down No. 19 Xavier, 3-1. The Red Storm extended its unbeaten streak to three games against the Hoyas. Furthermore, the Johnnies jumped out to a five-game unbeaten streak with its triumph on Saturday.

The Johnnies earned five conference victories this season, marking the most since the 2021 Fall campaign.

St. John's and Georgetown went back and forth through the first 45 minutes, holding each other without a shot over that span. Jakopovic cut down an angle on a solid cross into the box, blocking out the Hoyas' attacker in the 21^st minute to keep Georgetown at bay.

The Red Storm nearly produced the game's first shot on a set piece in the 27^th minute as Jakopovic attempted to thread a cross into the middle. The wind took the ball too far into the box and prevented the Johnnies from logging a shot.

The battle at midfield continued into the second half as two minutes went by before St. John's blocked the first shot attempt of the game from Georgetown's Marlon Tabora. The Red Storm also weathered the Hoyas on their first corner of the contest in the 52^nd minute.

The Johnnies pestered Georgetown over the next five minutes, eventually taking a two-goal lead in a span of 2:13.

Eric Danquah drew a foul in the box after trying to reel in another cross from Jakopovic in the 55^th minute. The Johnnies' midfielder used his body to knock down the pass, only to take a missed clear attempt to the ribs. Griffith lined up his shot from the penalty dot and fired the ball into the right side to give the Red Storm a 1-0 lead.

Moments later, the Johnnies broke out in transition as Bjorn Nikolajewski launched a ball to Danquah at midfield. The headed pass led Jakopovic into open space before finding a streaking Boadi through the attacking third. The junior attacker one-touched the ball into the 18-yard box before feeding Griffith for the finish and doubling the Johnnies' lead, 2-0.

Alec McLachlan kept the Hoyas off the scoreboard over the final 30 minutes. The Johnnies' keeper stuffed a low attempt from Zach Zengue from 10 yards away in the 67^th minute. McLachlan notched one more save in the contest, turning aside a shot from Maximus Jennings in the 74^th minute.

St. John's back line of Jakopovic, Nikolajewski, Antonio Biggs and Godwin Partey played a full 90 minutes, providing vital clears and holding Georgetown out of the shot column over the final 16 minutes of action. The Red Storm held on for the two-goal victory and its second clean sheet in the last three matches.

Before making its 31^st appearance in the BIG EAST Soccer Championship, the Red Storm will conclude the 2024 regular season on Monday when it hosts CCNY in a 6 p.m. contest at Belson Stadium.