Saint John's soccer travels to face Macalester for a 12:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Oct. 23, in St. Paul. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (7-5-1, 4-3-0 MIAC) earned its second consecutive 2-1 victory thanks to a late goal from junior forward Ryan Erickson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Eagan) on Sunday (Oct. 17) at Haws Field.

Junior midfielder Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) ripped a shot on goal, which the Hamline goalkeeper saved to his left, and Erickson sent it to the back of the net with 28.8 seconds remaining. The goal was Erickson's fourth of the season and second game-winner. 

Forward Kaidan Popp (Redmond, Wash./Mount Si) gave the Johnnies a quick 1-0 lead with his second goal of the season in the 12th minute. A passing between senior midfielders Tommy Picka (Victoria, Minn./Chaska) and Drew Engel (De Pere, Wis.) led to Popp on the right side and the sophomore smashed a shot to the far post for his second collegiate goal. 

Hamline took advantage of a free kick from just outside the right side of the box in the 63rd minute. The free kick bounced around in the box until Logan Weller rattled a shot off the post and the rebound found Alex Rouse for the game-tying score.

Freshman goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North) made three saves in the victory as SJU posted statistical advantages in shots (23-10), shots on goal (14-4) and corner kicks (11-5).

PICKA POINTS: Picka had a foot in three of Saint John's four goals in the Johnnies' two wins last week.  He scored the game-winning goal 18 seconds into the second overtime Thursday at Bethel and recorded an assist, thanks to his corner kick, in SJU's first goal of the game. Picka assisted on the aforementioned first goal in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Hamline. He has seven points (2g/3a) in his last four games and SJU is 8-1 when he records a point. 

REGIONAL RANKINGS: SJU climbed two spots to No. 6 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches Region IX rankings released Tuesday (Oct. 19). The Johnnies defeated the team just ahead of them, Wisconsin-Platteville, 2-0 back on Sept. 4.

1. St. Olaf (No. 10 nationally)
2. Gustavus Adolphus (No. 20 nationally)
3. Carleton
4. Luther, Iowa
5. Wisconsin-Platteville
6. SJU
7. Augsburg
8. Dubuque, Iowa

A LOOK AT THE SCOTS: Macalester (7-7, 4-3 MIAC) suffered a 1-0 loss to Carleton last Saturday (Oct. 16) in Northfield. The Knights broke the scoreless tie with the game-winning goal in the 70th minute. The Scots have been shut out in five of their seven losses this fall. Freshman forward Hans Haenicke leads the team in goals (7), assists (4), points (18), shots (41) and shots on goal (19), and is second to junior forward Silas Southworth (3) in game-winning goals with two. Southworth is second behind Haenicke in goals (6) and points (13).

BACK IN 2019: The Johnnies went 1-0-1 with a shootout win in the MIAC Playoffs the last time these two teams met during the 2019 season.

at Saint John's 3, Macalester 2
SJU erased a 2-0 deficit with three unanswered goals in the second half to top Macalester 3-2 in the first meeting on Sept. 28, 2019, in Collegeville.

Leighton Lommel '20 scored the game-winning goal, his first tally of the season, on a penalty kick with 1:25 remaining. Kagan Foster '20 drew the penalty following an excellent scoring chance. He dribbled the ball into the box and created a header off his own touch, but the Macalester goalkeeper stepped up and took out Foster's body.

The Scots gained a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute and Chris Bajek made it 2-0 with his team-leading fourth goal of the season 6:30 into the second half.

The Johnnies, however, responded to the 2-0 deficit by out-shooting Mac 12-4 the rest of the way (for a 18-13 advantage overall). Tim Spesia '21 started the Johnnies' comeback with his first collegiate goal, a put-back of a loose ball in the box, in the 62nd minute. 

Senior forward Guy Mohs (Long Lake, Minn./Orono) tied the game with his first goal of the season 2:49 later. Ben Becker '20 ripped a shot off the crossbar and the ball ricocheted to an open Mohs on the right side of the box.

t-at Saint John's 0, Macalester 0 2OT (SJU, 4-2)
SJU advanced to the MIAC Playoff semifinals with a 4-2 shootout win over Macalester five weeks later (Nov. 5) at Haws Field. Following a scoreless tie, SJU head coach John Haws brought in a cold Nicholas French '20 to replace goalkeeper Payton Spencer '20, who made five saves to post his second consecutive shutout. The appearance in net was the first for French since he broke his thumb Oct. 16 at Augsburg. The 6-foot-5 keeper stretched out to stop the Scots' first two attempts, however, which proved to be the difference.

Paul Wadsworth '21 started a stretch of four consecutive shootout goals for SJU after Becker was denied in the opening round. Junior Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) and Foster followed suit before Patrick Erredge '20 scored the clincher.

Mac out-shot SJU 19-9 (6-1 on goal) and posted statistical advantages in corners (13-4) and offsides (11-2).

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 23-19-3 against Macalester since 1981, including a 10-9-2 record against the Scots in St. Paul. The series is even at 4-4 in the last eight trips to Macalester Stadium.