St. John’s Falls Late to Penn State on Tuesday

Tuesday, September 24

Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

2-4-3, 0-1-0

Penn State

4-5-0, 1-2-0

Penn St.

St. John's (NY)

9/24/2024 9:39:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Tyler Morck scored his second goal of the season in the setback

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's men's soccer team dropped its midweek matchup to Penn State, 2-1, at Belson Stadium on Tuesday.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Morck netted the Johnnies' lone goal of the game with a strike in the 22^nd minute. Senior Miguel Diaz also tallied his first assist of the season with a feed from the end line to a wide-open Morck.

The Red Storm (2-4-3) outshot Penn State, 15-5, while logging four corners in the contest.

The Johnnies maintained majority of the possession through the opening 10 minutes of the contest. Diaz, Macoumba Ba and the Red Storm offense laid several crosses into the box for cutting attackers but the Nittany Lions (4-5-0) managed to clear each offering without allowing any shot attempts. Jackson Gould logged St. John's first shot, only to see the opportunity blocked from 20 yards out.

Ba pickpocketed a Penn State midfielder in the 17^th minute and sent Martin Kozak into open space through the middle. The Chilean attacker ripped a shot from point blank but saw his attempt turned aside by Fredrick Grundin.

The Johnnies continued to pester the Nittany Lions' defense over the next five minutes before taking a 1-0 lead. After the center official called no foul at midfield, the Red Storm's Diaz broke down the right side and dangled past the defender. The Brooklyn native sent a pass across the middle from the end line to a wide-open Morck. The Bethpage, N.Y., product one-timed the pass into the top-right corner to claim a one-goal lead.

St. John's stifled Penn State's offense in the opening half, maintaining 60 percent of the possession through 45 minutes of action. The Johnnies also held the Nittany Lions without a shot in the first stanza while ripping three of their nine chances on frame.

The Johnnies kept Penn State out of the shot column for 56:35 before an opportunity from Caden Grabfelder was blocked by the St. John's backline. Red Storm goalkeeper Alec McLachlan reeled in the Nittany Lions' first shot attempt on target, shutting down Malick Daouda just three minutes later.

Sophomore Camron Boumsong nearly found the back of the net in the 62^nd minute off a cross from Ba. The midfielder out of Paris, France headed the feed just wide of the right post from inside the six-yard box.

Penn State found its footing in the final 28 minutes of the contest, forcing the Red Storm into its defensive third. The Nittany Lions knotted the game with an "Olimpico" goal on a Matthew Henderson corner kick in the 75^th minute. The visitors took a 2-1 lead on a strike from Michael Hewes just 6:02 later.

St. John's put forth a valiant effort in the final 10 minutes with a plethora of crosses into the box but being unable to find the back of the net. The Johnnies nearly registered an equalizer with 34 seconds remaining as Diaz settled a pass at the top of the box and lasered a shot just wide of the frame.

The Red Storm will remain in Queens for another BIG EAST matchup against Villanova on Saturday. Kick-off from Belson Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on FloFC.