The Johnnie soccer team (3-0-0, 0-0-0 MIAC) plays host to Wisconsin-Superior for a 5 p.m. match this Friday, Sept. 9, at George Durenberger Field in Collegeville. SJU then travels to face Viterbo (Wis.) for a 3 p.m. match Sunday, Sept. 11, in La Crosse, Wis.
Preview Video:
-Head coach John Haws (1:05)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies are 3-0 after winning a pair of weekend matches in Wisconsin. SJU defeated the host Falcons of Concordia (Wis.) 4-3 on Saturday and ended the trip with a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) on Sunday. Sophomore midfielder Michael Coborn (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) posted an 11-point weekend with four goals and three assists, while freshman forward Ian Scudder (Sherwood, Ore.) earned five points (1g/3a).
RECENT NORTH REGION RANKINGS: The Johnnies were ranked fifth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) North region rankings released Sept. 6. Friday's opponent, Wisconsin-Superior, was ranked ninth.
A LOOK AT THE YELLOWJACKETS: Wisconsin-Superior is 2-0 after defeating Milwaukee School of Engineering (3-0) and Concordia (Wis.) 3-2 in overtime over the weekend. Head coach Joe Mooney returns for his fourth season with the Yellowjackets and is accompanied by four returning All-WIAC honorees from a year ago. Senior forward Eric Nilsen was named the WIAC Player of the Week for his performance in Mequon, Wis. He was held scoreless in the 3-0 shutout of MSOE but came up huge in the win over Concordia. Down a goal, Nilsen tied the score at 2-2 with 6:45 to play in regulation and then scored the winning goal at 4:44 of overtime. This is the third meeting between SJU and Superior and the first in Collegeville. The Johnnies are 1-0-1 against the Yellowjackets in the series.
THE LAST MEETING: Sophomore Joe Balder's (Stillwater, Minn.) first career goal, a game-tying tally with 11 seconds left in regulation, gave the Johnnies a 1-1 tie at Wisconsin-Superior last fall on Oct. 10 in Superior, Wis. Following a scoreless first half, the Yellowjackets' Thomas Shuldheisz scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season 1:55 into the second frame to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Matt Anderson '11 made two saves in the first half before being relieved by sophomore Ryan Brutger (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo), who allowed one goal and tallied six saves.
A LOOK AT THE V-HAWKS: Viterbo, an NAIA school, enters this weekend 3-1 after splitting a pair of matches in Michigan last weekend. Senior James Lockley leads the team with nine points (3g/3a) so far this season. This is the first meeting between the two schools since 2000. SJU leads the series 5-1, including a 2-1 record in La Crosse, Wis.
