Nikolajewski Records Late-Game Equalizer as St. John’s Ties Xavier, 1-1

Friday, September 19

Queens, N.Y. (Cox Family Field at Belson Stadium)

7 p.m.

St. John's University

4-2-3, 0-0-1

Xavier

2-2-2, 0-0-1

Xavier

St. John's

Nikolajewski Records Late-Game Equalizer as St. John’s Ties Xavier, 1-1

9/19/2025 10:08:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

Team captain scores second goal in last three games to propel Red Storm to a draw in its BIG EAST opener

QUEENS, N.Y.- A late-game equalizer from Bjorn Nikolajewski powered the St. John's men's soccer team (4-2-3, 0-0-1 BIG EAST) to a 1-1 draw with Xavier (2-2-2, 0-0-1 BIG EAST) in its conference opener on Friday night.

Nikolajewski scored his second career goal in the span of just three matches. The graduate student defender nudged in the game-tying goal with just 3:07 remaining as St. John's closed its five-match homestand.

St. John's recorded a season-high 27 shot attempts on Friday night marking the program's highest total since it unleashed 34 against Villanova on Oct. 14, 2023. The Red Storm outshot Xavier, 27-3.

The Red Storm played a man-up for the final 70 minutes of the match after a Xavier red card in the 20^th minute.

Antonio Biggs cranked a career-high six shots including four on target, the most by any Red Storm player this season. Nikolajewski, Julian Jakopovic, Gabin Thomelier, Gabe Smyth and Kaief Tomlinson all tallied season-highs in shot attempts at Cox Family Field at Belson Stadium.

As St. John's began its regular season title defense in league competition, Thomelier recorded the first opportunity of the match launching a strike off a volley that was blocked by a Xavier defender in the ninth minute.

Jakopovic had the next look on goal after Biggs earned a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. The senior delivered the set piece chance off the crossbar.

In the 20^th minute, Biggs had a near breakaway for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper before he was taken down as the Musketeers were shown a red card as the Red Storm went a man-up in the first half for the second consecutive game.

The Johnnies went into the locker room tied 0-0 leading the Musketeers, 9-2, in the shot category.

In the latter 45 minutes, the Red Storm came out firing logging six shots in the opening five minutes of the second half. Biggs fired a header off a cross from Jeremy Sharp that was just batted over the bar by Gabriel Kuffel. On the ensuing corner, St. John's registered three shots a pair from Tomlinson and one from Luca Fargnoli as St. John's continued to look for the go-ahead tally.

The opportunities continued to come as St. John's recorded its 20^th shot of the night as Sharp blasted one over the bar getting on the end of a service from Ank Nigobora in the 69^th minute.

The Musketeers got on the board in the 71^st minute off a free kick. Nathan Trickett provided the assist off the set piece from just outside of the 18-yard box finding the head of Ekene Okeke to propel the visitors into the lead, 1-0.

The Red Storm press continued to create opportunities as the shot margin between the two sides kept expanding. In the 87^thminute, the Red Storm finally broke through. In a scramble inside-the-box, Sharp touched a pass to Nikolajewski, who launched it right at the keeper. The team captain directed the rebound rolling it into the middle of the net with just over three minutes to spare to earn a point for the Johnnies at the start of conference play.

The Red Storm will be back in action in eight days when it faces Georgetown on the road on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the nation's capital.