The Johnnie soccer team hosts two matches this weekend, beginning with the conference opener against Carleton this Friday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. in Clemens Stadium. SJU welcomes Wartburg (Iowa) for a 2 p.m. match on Sunday, Sept. 16. – Live Stats (Both Matches)
Preview Video:
-Head coach John Haws (0:59)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: The Johnnies (2-1-2 overall) suffered their first loss, 2-0, at Wisconsin-Superior Sept. 9. The loss was the third road match in three days for an SJU team that traveled over 1,092 miles during the weekend. Sophomores Zane Heinselman (River Falls, Wis.), David Wee (Savage, Minn./Prior Lake) and Josh Whitaker (Milwaukie, Ore.) lead the team with two goals apiece, while junior Michael Coborn (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) boasts a team-leading three assists.
A LOOK AT THE CARLETON KNIGHTS: Carleton enters Friday's match with a perfect 4-0 record, including a dominating 5-0 win against Bethany Lutheran Sept. 11. The Knights have outscored their competition by an 18-2 margin so far this fall. Freshman Branden McGarrity leads the team with 11 points (5g/1a), while juniors Will Corcoran and Simon Ginet are tied for second on the team with three goals each. Carleton was ranked sixth in the second National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) North Region rankings released Sept. 11. Augsburg was ranked third, and No. 24 nationally, followed by Luther of Iowa (No. 4) and St. Thomas (No. 5).
SERIES HISTORY: Since 1983, the Johnnies are 20-8-1 all-time against Carleton, including a 11-2-1 record in Collegeville.
LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Miles Silbert's goal 57 seconds into the first overtime gave Carleton a 2-1 win over Saint John's last Sept. 17 in Northfield. Coborn gave SJU a 1-0 lead with his seventh goal of the season 26:57 into the match. The one-goal lead stood until Will Corcoran tied the match in the 58th minute for the Knights, with an assist to Silbert. Junior Ryan Brutger (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) made five saves in the loss for the Johnnies. The Johnnies have lost each of their last five meetings with Carleton, three of which were decided in overtime.
A LOOK AT THE WARTBURG KNIGHTS: The Knights travel to Collegeville Sunday with a 1-2-1 record. Wartburg defeated St. Scholastica (1-0), tied Wisconsin-Oshkosh (3-3), and lost to both Carleton (3-1) and Concordia-Moorhead (2-0). Sophomore Dan Nadeau leads the squad with two goals. The Johnnies are 2-3 all-time against Wartburg, including a 1-1 mark in Collegeville.
LAST YEAR: Saint John's stormed back from a 2-0 halftime deficit with three unanswered goals to defeat Wartburg 3-2 last Oct. 9 in Waverly, Iowa. Austin Otto gave the Knights an early 1-0 lead 4:45 into the match. Phil Vermie increased the lead to 2-0 in the 36th minute. SJU got on the scoreboard with an own goal seven minutes into the second half. Heinselman tied the match with his fourth goal of the season 1:20 later. Junior Matt Carson (Waconia, Minn.) tallied his second consecutive game-winning goal with 4:05 remaining in the game. Coborn fed Carson on a give-and-go, who then drilled a shot to the top-right corner. The two teams combined for nine yellow cards and a red, only two of which belonged to SJU. Wartburg received a red card at the 79:56 mark of the match and played with only 10 men on the field for the final 10:04. Mike Sikich '12 made nine saves in goal to improve to 3-0 on the season.
