The Saint John's University soccer team begins the 2009 season at home against Minnesota-Morris this Sunday, Sept. 6. The match is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Durenberger Field in Collegeville. - 

Preview Videos:
-Head coach Pat Haws (1:37)
-Senior goalkeeper Luke Nelson (0:55)

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: In 2008, the Johnnies finished the season with an impressive 6-0-1 streak against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) foes. Of the nine seniors lost to graduation, eight started, meaning some players will be adapting to new roles this season.  There are plenty of players who know their way around a college pitch, including two of their top six scorers, from a 2008 team that finished tied for fourth in the MIAC with a 6-3-1 record and posted an 11-6-1 record overall.  
Forwards
The Johnnies return a pair of junior forwards, #A.J. Sollom# (River Falls, Wis.) and Nelson Martinez (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy). An Academic All-MIAC honoree a year ago, Sollom collected seven points (2g/3a) in 16 games. Martinez showed promise early in the season by scoring two goals on two shots before suffering a season-ending injury in the season's fifth match. Senior Henok Waldsmayate (Eagan, Minn.), who appeared in three games last season, will also vie for time in '09.
Midfielders
Junior Colin Hall (Maple Grove, Minn.) leads a group of five experienced midfielders returning for SJU in 2009. Hall led all returners with 11 points (5g/1a) and two game-winning goals last season. Seniors Eric Bell (Little Falls, Minn.) and Paul Keane (Rochester, Minn./Mayo), and juniors #J.C. Artavia# (White Bear Lake, Minn.) and Clash Lo (St. Paul, Minn./Tartan) also return for the Johnnies. Lo saw action in 16 games and tallied three points, all assists, while Keane played in 18 games, eight of which were starts, and scored a game-winning goal. Artavia recorded one goal in eight games and Bell appeared in seven matches last fall. Sophomore Justin Rajtar (Mounds View, Minn./Totino-Grace) will also compete for time at midfielder this season.
Defenders
The Johnnies are expected to return their leading scorer among defenseman, junior Austin Neuburger (Millstone, N.J./Allentown), from a year ago. Neuburger registered eight points (2g/4a) in 18 matches, including 15 starts. SJU also returns senior Jake Archbold (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata), junior Andrew Lilly (Maple Grove, Minn.) and sophomore Chris Hagen (Blacksburg, Va.). Archbold has appeared in 29 games, including 11 starts, and has three career points (1g/1a). Hagen recorded an assist in 15 games as a freshman last fall, while Lilly appeared in 11.
Goalkeepers
Senior Luke Nelson (Caledonia, Minn.) returns for the Johnnies in '09 after posting a 10-4-1 record with five shutouts last fall. An Academic All-MIAC honoree, Nelson made 90 saves in 1,348 minutes during his first season in goal with the Johnnies. Junior Matt Anderson (Apple Valley, Minn.), who posted a 1-1 record in seven appearances last fall, and sophomore Mike Sikich (Apple Valley, Minn.) will compete for minutes in 2009.  

A LOOK AT MORRIS: The Cougars return a hearty number of men, welcoming back 19 players from last year's team that finished 11-3 in UMAC play and 18-4 overall. Two of UMM's key returners are 2008 UMAC Tournament MVP Patrick O'Connor and 2008 UMAC Player of the Year Brent Diggs. Diggs, a forward who led the UMAC in goals scored last year, was also named to the NSCAA/Adidas All-Region team.  The Cougars outshot their opponents better than 2:1 (481 shots to 215) and averaged 2.75 goals a game compared to .67 for their opponents. As games went on, the Cougars grew stronger. The defense yielded only four second-half goals and none in overtime.  The Cougars are a preseason number one pick in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, tied with the College of St. Scholastica. UMM fell to Augsburg 1-0 in overtime on Sept. 1. - UMAC Preseason Poll | Cougars Roster

THE LAST MEETING: SJU dropped a 3-0 match to Minn.-Morris on Sept. 16 of last year in Morris. The match was the first varsity meeting between the two institutions. The Johnnies used 24 different players and did not start goalkeeper Luke Nelson. Instead, Matt Anderson made his first collegiate start and collected six saves. - Game Story

SJU HEAD COACH PAT HAWS:
Pat Haws, a 1972 graduate of Saint John's, is in his 32nd season as the Johnnies' head coach in 2009. Haws' Johnnies finished with an 11-6-1 and a 6-3-1 record in the MIAC last season. One of the nation's winningest soccer coaches and the winningest in Minnesota college soccer history, Haws owns a 336-129-48 (.702) career record and a 217-69-30 (.734) MIAC record with seven MIAC titles to his credit.  Haws began the 2009 season 15th among active coaches and 19th all-time in NCAA Division III in career victories.  Haws' career winning percentage of .702 is 26th among active coaches and 26th in NCAA Division III history.
SJU Assistant Coaches