Box Score | Listen to Archived Game | Photos (Brace Hemmelgarn/Abby Roche)
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 18 Saint John's University's game-tying extra point in the first overtime hit the left upright as No. 4 St. Thomas defeated the host Johnnies 27-26 in front of an NCAA Division III-record crowd of 16,421 on Homecoming Saturday, Oct. 2.
The win is the first for St. Thomas against SJU since 1997 and the first in Collegeville since 1986. The Homecoming loss is the first for the Johnnies since 1994.
UST's Ben Wartman carried the ball all three times on the Tommies' first possession of overtime and scored from 10 yards out to give the visitors a 27-20 lead, their first lead since 2:25 left in the third quarter. Wartman ended the day with 154 yards rushing on 28 carries and three touchdowns.
On fourth-and-two, senior quarterback Joe Boyle (Richfield, Minn./Holy Angels) hit sophomore running back Stephen Johnson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) for a six-yard touchdown pass before sophomore Jimmie Mattson's (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) extra point hit the left post.
Wartman's second touchdown of the day tied the game at 20-20 with 3:27 left in regulation. The Tommies' Tim Albright, however, missed the extra point. The Johnnies marched down to the UST 30 with a minute left, but Ryan Deitz intercepted Boyle on first-and-10 to force overtime.
SJU (3-2, 2-1 MIAC) cruised 76 yards on its first possession, which ended on a two-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Harry Awe (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha) to give the Johnnies an early 7-0 lead. Albright missed a 27-yard field goal on UST's first drive before the Tommies (5-0, 3-0 MIAC) turned the ball over inside the Johnnies' 28-yard line on its next two possessions.
Dakota Tracy connected with Ricky Margarit on a 39-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:23 left in the second quarter.
The Johnnies moved down to the UST 31, but a fumble gave the ball back to the Tommies on their own 25. Three plays later, a bad snap from center went over Tracy's head and was recovered by senior linebacker Billy Lawrence (Edina, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) on the UST 16. The Johnnies had to settle for a field goal, however, from 26 yards out by Mattson.
The Tommies were forced to punt on their first possession of the second half, but the Johnnies were stuffed on fourth-and-one on the UST 28, ending a 35-yard drive with no points.
St. Thomas answered with a 72-yard scoring drive that ended on Wartman's first touchdown of the game, a four-yard run, with 2:25 left in the third quarter.
SJU answered right back with a seven-play, 63 yard-scoring drive of its own that ended on a 12-yard touchdown run by Boyle.
A fumble by Fritz Waldvogel, the Tommies' fourth turnover of the game, gave the ball back to SJU on the Tommies' 47. The Johnnies moved down to the UST 15, but settled for another field goal by Mattson, this time from 32 yards out, to make it 20-14 in favor of SJU with a little over 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
Boyle ended the day 16 of 24 passing for 168 yards. He also tied with Johnson for the team-lead of 55 yards on the ground. Senior running back Jakob Reding (Eden Prairie, Minn.) caught five passes for 38 yards. Sophomore safety Ian Goldsmith (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) led the SJU defense with nine tackles (six solo), while Lawrence, junior linebacker Evan Cobb (Becker, Minn.) and sophomore cornerback Alex Powell (Hopkins, Minn.) added seven tackles each. Lawrence posted an interception and a fumble recovery.
Tracy was eight of 13 passing for 114 yards, but added 99 yards on 16 carries. Waldvogel grabbed six passes for 65 yards. Tony Danna led the Tommie defense with 12 tackles (six solo), including one tackle for loss.
The Johnnies out-gained UST 356-352 in the game and held a 24-19 advantage on first downs. SJU held the Tommies to 2-for-9 on third down.
SJU returns to action Saturday, Oct. 9, at Bethel. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Royal Stadium in Arden Hills.
