St. John’s Tops Penn on the Road, 2-1

Sunday, September 15

Philadelphia, Pa. (Rhodes Field)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

5-1-2, 0-0-0

Penn

0-5-3, 0-0-0

St. John's (NY)

Penn

9/15/2024 5:06:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Red Storm wrap-up non-conference play with a 5-1-2 record

PHILADELPHIA– The St. John's women's soccer team topped Penn on the road on Sunday, 2-1 at Rhodes Field in Philadelphia.

With the win, the Red Storm conclude non-conference play 5-1-2 and have gone 4-0-1 over its last five matches.

Hope Van Tuyle and Jailene DeJesus tallied goals in Sunday's triumph in the City of Brotherly Love. Van Tuyle's tally marked the first of her career as she crushed home a rebound off the post. DeJesus converted a penalty kick early in the second half that served as the decisive tally.

The Wyomissing, Pa., native recorded five points (2 goals, 1 assist) during a 2-0 week for the Red Storm. Additionally, the midfielder fired a career-high seven shots, including four on frame. Her seven strikes tie for the most by a Johnnie this season.

Freya Meadows-Tuson logged her first collegiate point with a diving header to setup Van Tuyle's goal and Athina Sofroniou recorded her third helper of the week off the free kick.

Kayla Bower played 77 scoreless minutes in net and recorded four saves for the Johnnies. The junior improved her save percentage to .900 on the year.

Led by DeJesus' impressive effort, St. John's outshot Penn, 14-13 and also held a slight edge in shots on target, 6-5. Adamsky added the lone tally for the Quakers in the 62^nd minute.

In the 11^th minute, Reese Dunaway battled for possession and nudged it ahead to DeJesus. The winger proceeded forward linking up with Levy for a give-and-go leaving DeJesus with a one-on-one with goalkeeper she fired a hard strike but Penn goalkeeper Annabelle Austen made a miraculous save to keep the scoreline level.

After a Penn (0-5-3) handball setup a Red Storm free kick just in its offensive half. Sofroniou launched a high-arching pass into the box. Meadows-Tuson sprawled forward for a diving header that darted at the crossbar. The shot attempt went bar down just inches from crossing the goal line but Van Tuyle won the foot race and smashed a strike into the middle of the net to put the Johnnies up 1-0 in the 28^th minute.

As the seconds dwindled down, Penn created an opportunity off a back pass inside the 18-yard box as Adamsky fired on frame but Bower made a diving stop to the Quakers off the board with just 0:12 remaining in the half to take a 1-0 cushion into the break.

The Quakers had a breakthrough finishing a cross but the attacker was in an offside position. Directly following, the Johnnies countered as Madison Mariani logged a pair of shots the latter of which went off a Penn defender's hand, setting up a penalty kick opportunity for the Red Storm. DeJesus stepped to the spot and converted in the 52^nd minute knocking one off the hand of the goaltender and into the right side of the twine, 2-0.

Penn had a penalty kick opportunity of its own just five minutes later after a foul in the box. Janae Stewart's attempt was sent wide as the Johnnies held onto a 2-0 advantage.

The Quakers created another opportunity sending a ball on frame that Malene Nielsen went airborne to punch out of danger and out of bounds for a corner in the 59^th minute.

Penn finally broke through three minutes later as Adamsky won the race to a forward pass and beat the goaltender to trim the deficit in half, 2-1, in the 62^nd minute.

Over the final 28 minutes, the Red Storm played defensively preventing any true scoring chances and clung onto the one-goal advantage to earn its fourth win in the last five matches.

St. John's will head into BIG EAST play on Sunday when it hosts UConn at Belson Stadium on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m.