St. John’s Pushes No. 12 North Carolina to Brink in 2-2 Draw

Friday, September 6

Chapel Hill, NC

7 p.m.

St. John's University

2-1-2, 0-0-0

No. 12 North Carolina

3-0-2, 0-0-0

St. John's (NY)

North Carolina

St. John’s Pushes No. 12 North Carolina to Brink in 2-2 Draw

9/6/2024 9:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Red Storm scored more goals (2) than Tar Heels surrendered (1) entering Friday’s match

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – On the brink of an upset, the St. John's men's soccer team draws No. 12 North Carolina, 2-2, on the road at Dorrance Field on Friday evening. The Red Storm scored more goals (2) against the Tar Heels than UNC had surrendered (1) entering tonight's match.

Senior Miguel Diaz picked up his team-leading third goal of the season, finding the back of the net in the 31^st minute on his lone shot of the game. Sophomore Brady Geho also registered a tally in the contest, logging his first of the season in the 57^th minute.

Nigel Griffith picked up his first point of the season with an assist on Diaz's goal. The Red Storm attacker also logged a shot on goal in the 38 minutes off the bench.

The Johnnies' back line of Antonio Biggs, Justin Kopay, Julian Jakopovic and Bjorn Nikolajewski all played 90 minutes in the draw and limited UNC to just eight shots. Macoumba Ba and Eric Danquah also logged a full 90 minutes of action in the midfield.

The Red Storm (2-1-2) and Tar Heels (3-0-2) battled to open its third all-time meeting. Kopay kept UNC out of the shot column in the eighth minute after clearing away a dangerous pass deep in the box. The senior back made a sliding tackle just outside the six and tapping the ball just out of reach from the Tar Heels' attacker.

North Carolina pressured the Johnnies over the next six minutes before Luke Hille headed home on a cross from Tate Johnson in the 14^th minute to take a 1-0 lead. St. John's held UNC without a shot for the rest of the first half.

The Red Storm countered with a premier chance in the 19^th minute. Diaz pulled down a chip from Kopay before tapping a lead pass to Martin Kozak down the right side of the box. The Chilean attacker ripped a pass on the ground past the diving UNC goalkeeper to the back post. Ba nearly knocked in the feed from Kozak but the ball trickled past the attacker.

The Johnnies pestered the Tar Heels' back line with good ball movement and speed down the sides. St. John's found itself deep in the attacking third with Ba trying to shift his way out of danger and two UNC defenders trying to strip him of the ball. The Dakar, Senegal native broke free and fed Nigel Griffith into open space along the end line. After taking a quick touch inside the 18-yard box, the senior forward ripped a pass across the middle of the box to a cutting Diaz, who rocketed the equalizer from 10 yards out to deadlock the game at one in the 31^st minute.

After carrying a 1-1 tie into intermission, the Red Storm defense continued to keep the Tar Heels on the outside through the early part of the second half. St. John's goalkeeper Alec McLachlan reeled in UNC's first shot in over 40 minutes.

Much like the first half, St. John's surged through the midfield for a prime opportunity. Ba pulled down a stretch pass from Diaz and broke into clear terrain down the left side. The Johnnies' midfielder made two Tar Heels twist and turn as he entered the 18 before making a final move to the inside. The redirection fell to Geho just outside the six and the sophomore tapped a slow roller past the keeper into the bottom right corner of the net for a 2-1 edge.

Just over a minute later, McLachlan turned away UNC's best chance of the half with a point blank stop. North Carolina's Ahmad Al Qaq fired a shot from the top of the box with the Johnnies' keeper making a diving stop to his right before Biggs stepped in the way of the rebound to keep the Red Storm ahead. The Stockport, England native finished with three saves.

The Red Storm held UNC without a shot for nearly 27 minutes, clearing away several opportunities and halting the Tar Heels from getting inside the box. However, North Carolina eventually broke through in the 87^th minute with a goal from Lucas Ross to knot the game at two.

St. John's will return to Queens for a Tuesday match against Ivy League foe Princeton on Tuesday. The contest from Belson Stadium is slated for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.