St. John’s Forces 1-1 Draw at No. 6 Marshall

Saturday, September 14

Huntington, W. Va. (Hoops Family Field)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

2-2-3, 0-0-0

No. 6 Marshall

4-1-1, 0-0-0

St. John's (NY)

Marshall

9/14/2024 10:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Midfielder Tyler Morck nets first collegiate goal in Saturday’s tie

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Redshirt freshman Tyler Morck netted the equalizer in the St. John's men's soccer team's tightly contested 1-1 draw against No. 6 Marshall at Hoops Family Field on Saturday.

The Bethpage, N.Y., native registered his first collegiate goal with a strike in the 67^th minute. The midfielder, who missed the entire 2023 season due to an ACL injury, recorded a game-best three shot attempts with two on target in 28 minutes off the bench.

Thomas Lamaille secured his third assist of the season while defender Julian Jakopovic registered his first helper in a Red Storm uniform. The Red Storm generated 11 shots in the contest and put six on frame. The Johnnies' backline stifled the Thundering Herd with just three opportunities on net.

St. John's (2-2-3) became the first team to tie with Marshall (4-1-1) in a regular season match since Oct. 19, 2022, registering a decision in its previous 29 contests. The Johnnies also picked up their fourth-straight draw against a ranked opponent and their second on the road in eight days.

The Red Storm produced its first shot on net just 90 seconds into the contest, earning a set piece following a foul drawn by Dechlyn Hauge. After setting up in the attacking zone, Bjorn Nikolajewski lasered a shot on frame from 25 yards out that was reeled in by The Herd's keeper Dan Rose.

The Johnnies continued to pressure as Miguel Diaz forced a turnover two minutes later. The Brooklyn native broke free into open space down the right side and chipped a pass deep in the box to an open Hauge, who headed the feed just wide of the near post in the fourth minute.

St. John's held Marshall out of the shot column through the first 16 minutes of the contest. The Johnnies blocked the Thundering Herd's first shot from outside the box in the 17^th minute. The Herd continued to pressure the Red Storm before midfielder Alexander Stjernegaard ripped a bending shot to the low right corner to take a 1-0 lead in the 19^th minute.

In the 28^th minute, Johnnies' goalkeeper Alec McLachlan kept the deficit at one following a prime opportunity by Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos. The Herd's attacker worked through the top of the box before lasering a shot on frame. The Stockport, England native made a diving stop to his right, pushing his first of two saves out of play.

The Red Storm created one last opportunity in the first half with under five minutes remaining. After earning a set piece from 22 yards out, Jakopovic beat Marshall's wall and fired a bouncing shot on target but saw Rose handle the opportunity to preserve the one-goal lead heading into intermission.

Out of the break, St. John's and Marshall exchanged possessions over the first 10 minutes before the Johnnies applied high pressure deep in The Herd's defensive third. The Red Storm managed to force a turnover on an outlet pass, seeing Diaz feed Augustine Boadi inside the 18-yard box. The senior attacker turned and took a touch before booting a shot wide at the near post in the 58^th minute.

St. John's battled to earn a corner five minutes later. The set piece from Jakopovic pinballed off of a pair of Red Storm heads inside the 18 before Marshall cleared away any chance on frame.

Moments later, the Johnnies surged in The Herd's defensive third with solid ball movement to knot the game at one. Diaz settled a pass from Macoumba Ba on the right side. After cutting back the senior midfielder swung the ball to the opposite side for Jakopovic, who took a touch and laid a cross into the 18-yard box. The feed found Lamaille's head from 14 yards away and he tapped a pass to a cutting Morck, who rocketed his first collegiate goal past Marshall's keeper in the 67^th minute.

The Johnnies were relentless over the next six minutes, managing a pair of chances in prime position. After a premier free-kick shot opportunity by Nikolajewski sailed over the frame from 20 yards out in the 72^nd minute, midfielder Camron Boumsong saw his shot trickle on net just 46 seconds later.

The Red Storm forced another turnover from its high pressure in the attacking zone in the 77^th minute. After Nigel Griffith pickpocketed Marshall's defender, Boumsong reeled in the pass at the top of the box and deked his defender. The sophomore midfielder created spaced and booted his attempt on target but was stopped by Rose.

Jakopovic made his presence felt on a consistent basis for the entire match but proved to be vital in the 84^th minute. The Stuttgart, Germany native stood in the center of a seven-man wall on a Marshall free kick from 20 yards away. Jakopovic leaped high on the Stjernegaard set-piece attempt and deflected the opportunity over the net with his head.

The Johnnies and The Herd increased their pace in transition over the final five minutes. Morck nearly produced a brace after a lead pass from Lamaille led the Red Storm's lone goal scorer into the box. The Long Island product tried to rip an immediate shot from 13 yards out but Marshall's Rose corralled the booted attempt in the 87^th minute for the final shot of the game.

St. John's will remain on the road for the start of BIG EAST play when it takes on Xavier on Friday. The contest from Corcoran Field is slated for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on FloFC.