Masur Captures 400th Win at St. John’s in 2-1 Come-From-Behind Victory over Villanova

Saturday, September 28

Queens, N.Y. (Belson Stadium)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

3-4-3, 1-1-0

Villanova

0-5-4, 0-2-0

Villanova

St. John's (NY)

Masur Captures 400th Win at St. John’s in 2-1 Come-From-Behind Victory over Villanova

9/28/2024 11:12:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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The 34-year veteran becomes seventh men’s soccer head coach in NCAA history to earn 400 victories at a singular Division I program

QUEENS, N.Y. – With two goals in a span of 3:46, the St. John's men's soccer team secured win No. 400 for Head Coach Dr. David Masur with a 2-1 comeback victory over Villanova on Saturday at Belson Stadium.

The 34-year veteran of the Red Storm becomes the seventh men's soccer head coach in NCAA history to secure 400 wins at a singular Division I institution, joining the likes of Indiana's Jerry Yeagley (543, 1973-2003), San Francisco's Stephen Negoesco (540, 1962-2000), South Carolina's Mark Berson (511, 1978-2020), Duke's John Rennie (410, 1979-2007) and William & Mary's Al Albert (401, 1971-2003). Masur also joins Maryland's Sasho Cirovski (430) as the only two active head coaches to accomplish the feat.

The Johnnies (3-4-3) are also closing in on 500 triumphs as a program, earning their 499^th with the win on Saturday.

For the second-straight game, Tyler Morck received a starting nod and found the back of the net. The redshirt freshman out of Bethpage, N.Y., knocked home the equalizer on a sliding redirection in the 65^th minute, part of a 90-minute effort from the midfielder.

Sophomore Martin Kozak assisted on Morck's strike while also registering his second goal of the season for a three-point showing across 60 minutes of action. The Chilean striker put away one of his four shot attempts for the game-winning tally in the 69^th minute.

Forward Jackson Gould and midfielder Miguel Diaz each tallied an assist and a pair of opportunities on frame in the contest. Julian Jakopovic also added two shots on target in the contest across 90 minutes on the backline.

Freshman Luca Fargnoli also made his collegiate debut on Saturday, logging 12 minutes off the bench for the Red Storm.

The Johnnies controlled play all evening, outshooting the Wildcats, 24-6. The Red Storm also produced 12 of its season-best 24 shots on frame and nine corners, both the highest in a game since producing 15 attempts on target and nine corners against Villanova last season.

Both teams went back and forth through the opening 10 minutes before Camron Boumsong ripped an attempt over the crossbar from just outside the box in the 11^th minute.

The Red Storm's Gould surged and opened space through the offensive third over the next four minutes. The Clifton Park, N.Y., native flicked an attempt on frame in the 16^th minute after settling an offering from Diaz. Over a minute later, Gould registered another prime opportunity, striking a point-blank shot that was turned away by Wildcats' goalkeeper Alex Yagudayev.

The Johnnies continued to pour on shots, seeing Jakopovic fire an attempt on frame in the 26^th minute before a Kozak attempt sailed wide nearly two minutes later. Diaz used his speed in the 29^th minute to cut through the defense and found open terrain before blasting a shot from 16 yards out, seeing his chance pushed aside.

Villanova (0-5-4) capitalized on a Red Storm handball in the box in the 39^th minute, seeing Jorge Garcia strike his penalty kick attempt into the lower right corner for a 1-0 lead at intermission.

The Johnnies came out of the break energized and caused chaos in the box on its first corner of the second half. Just 76 seconds into the frame, Diaz fed a cross into the 18-yard box off a quick corner, finding an open Biggs at the back post. The Jamaican defender saw his shot at the doorstep blocked, ricocheting to a wide-open Thomas Lamaille, who saw his chance stopped on the goal line in the 48^th minute.

The Red Storm continued to force the Wildcats to play deep in their zone over the next 26 minutes, seeing Kozak laser a shot wide in the 61^st minute, followed by an Eric Danquah header just outside the right post 63 seconds later.

St. John's finally cashed in with an equalizer in the 65^th minute. Kozak swung a cross just over the Wildcat defender to the feet of Diaz at the back post. The Brooklyn native tapped the feed towards the end line before finding Morck at the opposite pipe for the one-timer and a 1-1 deadlock.

Nearly four minutes later, Gould retrieved a throw-in down the sideline before dashing into open terrain on the right side. The junior attacked cut into the box and found Kozak in the six for another point-blank, one-timed goal in the 69^th minute to secure a 2-1 lead.

The Red Storm held Villanova without a shot for nearly 50 minutes before the Wildcats registered its first shot in the second half with just over 30 minutes remaining. The visitors strung together three shot attempts in total in the latter stanza, all coming in a 4:33 span.

Diaz forced a turnover in the 76^th minute and nearly doubled St. John's advantage after booting a shot into the hands of Yagudayev. The ball came back to Diaz's feet before sliding a pass over to Nigel Griffith for a second opportunity that sailed high. St. John's locked down Villanova over the final 14 minutes without allowing a shot to secure the one-goal victory.

The Red Storm will head out to Indianapolis, Ind., for a Friday night matchup against Butler. Kick-off from Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on FloFC.