Box ScoreCOLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's senior forward
Paul Wageman's (Roseville, Minn./DeLaSalle) golden goal with 17 seconds remaining in overtime, his second of the game, gave SJU a 2-1 win over Hamline on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Collegeville.
The win, coupled with St. Thomas' 1-1 tie with Saint Mary's, clinches the fourth consecutive trip to the MIAC Playoffs for SJU. The six-team tournament begins Nov. 3.
Wageman gave SJU (11-2-2, 6-1-1 MIAC) an early 1-0 lead 13:10 into the match. Classmate
Alex Niederloh (Maple Grove, Minn.) fed junior
Rocky Harmon (Hudson, Wis.), who entered the box and chipped a pass over his defender to Wageman. Wageman was cutting into the box, right to left, but unleashed a shot across his body to the right post.
Gardea Simoke tied the game for Hamline (6-7-2, 4-3-1 MIAC) in the 70th minute.
Wageman looked to have scored a game-winner in regulation, in the 97th minute, but the goal was waved off due to an offside call.
The real game-winning goal was all Wageman, who possessed the ball to the left corner of the box and ripped a laser to the right post for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
Senior
Kevin Lebahn (New Hope, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) made one save in the win as SJU out-shot the Pipers 19-7 (12-2 on goal), including a 13-2 advantage after halftime.
SJU is now 40-4-3 all-time against Hamline since 1975, including a 16-1-2 record in Collegeville since 1981.
The Johnnies travel to face Macalester for a 7:30 p.m. game on Tuesday, Oct. 27, under the lights of Macalester Stadium in St. Paul.
