Saint John's opens its 2013 season, as well as new Haws Field, with a pair of home non-conference matches this weekend. The Johnnies play host to Minnesota-Morris at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, followed by a 1 p.m. contest against Concordia (Wis.) on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Preview Videos:
-Coborn & Haws (2:11)
HAWS FIELD: The Johnnies are excited to begin play on Haws Field, their new soccer field named in honor of retired head coach Pat Haws '72. Built thanks to a generous donation from Coborn's, Inc., Haws Field features a natural-grass playing surface (sand-peat topsoil blend) and permanent team dugouts, as well as a landscaped, block retaining wall encompassing the field.
120 POINTS: SJU returns all 120 points (39g/42a) recorded last fall. The Johnnies graduated only two seniors for the second consecutive season.
THREE AWAY FROM THE TOP: Senior Michael Coborn (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) enters the 2013 season three assists shy of becoming SJU's all-time leader. A three-time All-MIAC first-team selection, Coborn led SJU in assists (12), shots (70) and shots-on-goal (37) for the third consecutive season in 2012. He finished third on the team with 20 points, while his 12 assists, nine in conference play, led the MIAC.
FORWARD FRENZY: Three forwards combined for 61 points (21g/19a) as sophomores last year, four more than the Johnnies recorded as a team in the entire 2010 season (16 matches): Zane Heinselman (River Falls, Wis.), Ian Scudder (Sherwood, Ore.) and David Wee (Savage, Minn./Prior Lake).
22: A first-team All-MIAC selection last fall, Scudder ended the regular season as the MIAC's leading scorer with 22 points (8g/6a) in 10 conference games, and led SJU with 25 points (9g/7a) in 19 matches overall. He tallied 18 points (7g/4a) in the season's final seven games. The last Johnnie to lead the league in points was Levi Lowell '09 with, coincidentally, 22 points (8g/6a) in 2008. The 22 points recorded by Lowell and Scudder is the most by a single player in conference play since Macalester's Kimani Williams totaled 33 points (16g/1a) in 2001.
GOAL DIFFERENTIAL: Last season, the Johnnies had a plus-19 goal differential, meaning they scored 19 more goals than their opponents. In comparison, the Johnnies were plus-one in 2011, minus-two in 2010 (Haws' first season) and negative-16 in 2009.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: SJU is scheduled to play four programs this fall that appeared in the 2012 NCAA Playoffs: Carleton, Gustavus Adolphus, Loras (Iowa) and Wisconsin-Platteville. Loras reached the NCAA Division III Final Four in 2012, falling to eventual national champion Messiah (Pa.) 1-0 in overtime. The Duhawks also advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2011. Platteville, meanwhile, won the WIAC and made it to the round of 16 teams before falling to Loras (2-1).
SEASON OPENERS: Since 1981, SJU boasts a 21-8-3 record in the first match of the season, including a 14-1-1 record in Collegeville.
A LOOK AT THE COUGARS: Minnesota-Morris was picked to finish second in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) preseason poll released Aug. 21. The Cougars ended the 2012 season with a 12-8-2 overall and an 11-3 mark in the UMAC. UMM is expected to return nine starters, including senior forward/defender Ebrima Badgie and junior goalkeeper Jacob Borash. Badgie recorded 15 goals and 33 points last fall, while Borash went 8-7-1 with seven shutouts and a 1.00 GAA in net. Morris failed to score a goal in its first five matches in 2012 before tallying 36 goals in the remaining 17 games.
LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Saint John's started the 2012 season in fine fashion with a 3-0 win at Minnesota-Morris last Aug. 31. The Johnnies out-shot the Cougars 11-1 in the first half, 3-1 on goal, but could not find the back of the net. Intermission proved to be what SJU needed, however, as the visitors tallied two goals in the first five minutes of the second half. Wee, a 2011 All-MIAC second team selection, launched a long shot past the goalkeeper to give SJU a 1-0 lead 1:05 into the half. Coborn padded the lead 4:14 later on a header off a cross from Scudder. Coborn was responsible, in part, for the third and final goal at 74:34 of the match. He crossed a drive in the box that went off a defender and to the corner of the net. Senior Ryan Brutger (St. Cloud, Minn./Apollo) made two saves to earn the shutout, the third of his collegiate career. An NCAA Tournament team in 2011, UMM mustered only four shots in the contest (SJU held an 18-4 advantage).
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 3-1-1 all-time against the Cougars, including a 2-0 record in Collegeville (2009, 1-0; 2011, 2-0).
A LOOK AT THE FALCONS: Concordia was selected to finish fourth in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) preseason poll released Aug. 21. The Falcons tied for second in the conference standings and advanced to the NACC playoff championship match before falling to Dominican (Ill.), 2-1, ending the year with an 11-8-2 record (8-2-1 NACC). CUW needs to replace two of its top three scorers from a year ago, Kyle Sytsma (10g/3a) and Tyler Harris (4g/4a), as well as goalkeeper Sam Ische (11-8-2 record, five shutouts, 1.08 GAA).
SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 3-1-1 all-time against the Falcons, including a 1-0-1 mark on the home pitch. The last time Concordia visited Collegeville was 2006 (T, 1-1).
BACK IN 2011: Saint John's made the most of its first-half opportunities and held on for a 4-3 win over Concordia (Wis.) the last time these two programs met on Sept. 3, 2011, in Mequon, Wis. The Johnnies jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the half thanks to back-to-back goals from Coborn and a tally from Heinselman, the first of his collegiate career. Heinselman, Scudder and senior Joe Balder (Stillwater, Minn.) collected assists on Coborn's goals. Coborn returned the favor on Heinselman's milestone. Concordia, however, stormed back in the second half with two consecutive goals to cut the Johnnies' lead to 3-2. Andrew Johnson '13 posted his first goal of the season, what proved to be the game-winner, at the 76:23 mark of the second half. Coborn assisted on the scoring play. The Falcons cut it to one goal again 36 seconds later but could not tie the game. Mike Sikich '12 made six saves to improve his record to 2-0 on the young season.
