Saint John's (2-1, 0-0 MIAC) begins conference play at No. 24 Augsburg (4-0-1, 0-0 MIAC) this Wednesday, Sept. 16. The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field in Minneapolis. - Watch Live | Live Stats | Directions
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies are coming off of a weekend split in Waverly, Iowa. SJU earned a 2-1 win over Dubuque (Iowa) on Sept. 12, thanks to two goals from junior midfielder Colin Hall (Maple Grove, Minn.). Junior #J.C. Artavia# (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and sophomores Chris Hagen (Blacksburg, Va.) and Charles Hamm (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) contributed assists. Senior goalkeeper Luke Nelson (Caledonia, Minn.) made five saves to improve his record to 2-0 on the season. The Johnnies dropped a 3-2 decision to nationally-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) the night before (Sept. 11).
A LOOK AT THE AUGGIES: Coming off of their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III national tournament, head coach Greg Holker's Auggies entered the 2009 season as one of the favorites to win the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title. The Auggies defeated Buena Vista (Iowa) 4-0 on Sept. 12. Augsburg dominated play throughout the game, outshooting Buena Vista (1-5) by a 32-5 margin and claiming a 6-0 advantage in corner kicks. Goalkeeper Jeff Webster stopped four shots to record his first collegiate shutout and second collegiate win in goal for the Auggies. The Auggies are also coming off three other wins, including a 1-0 overtime win over Minnesota-Morris and a 0-0 overtime tie against Wartburg. Sophomore forward Ahmed Gobana leads the Auggies in both goals (3) and points (6). Senior keeper Pascaul Venter has recorded over 299 scoreless minutes so far this fall. Augsburg was ranked No. 14 in the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division III poll released Sept. 15 (No. 2 in the North region).
THE LAST MEETING: SJU and Augsburg tied 0-0 last season (Oct. 25) in Collegeville. Nelson made 15 saves for the Johnnies, while Venter made seven stops for the Auggies. Augsburg held a 22-14 edge in shots (15-7 on goal) and fouls, 29-18. The Johnnies are 0-2-1 in the past three meetings with Augsburg, but were 27-0-2 against the Auggies in the previous 29 meetings before that. Three years ago, the Johnnies lost 1-0 in double overtime on a goal with three seconds remaining in the match. It was the Johnnies' first loss to Augsburg since the 1978 season. - Game Story
