Saint John's soccer hosts Gustavus Adolphus at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at Haws Field. – Live Stats/Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: A late goal (87th minute) from senior midfielder Tommy Picka (Victoria, Minn./Chaska) lifted Saint John's (2-0 overall) to a 2-1 win at Concordia Wednesday night (April 14) in Moorhead.

A beautiful through ball, from right to left behind the Cobbers' defense, by senior forward Paul Wadsworth (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) found a hard-charging Picka in the middle of the box for the game-winning goal with 3:38 remaining.

Sophomore defender Aidan Becken (Prior Lake, Minn.) gave SJU a 1-0 lead with his first collegiate goal - a header off a corner kick from Wadsworth - 17:45 into the game.

Sondre Rygg tied the game at 1-1 for Concordia in the 69th minute.

Sophomore Jake Swanson (Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson) made three saves to earn the victory.

A LOOK AT THE GUSTIES: Gustavus Adolphus has played three exhibitions so far in April, including a 7-on-7 tournament April 3 in Collegeville, and is scheduled to play four matches, beginning with Saturday's tilt at Haws Field (April 25 vs. Bethel, May 2 at Saint Mary's and May 5 at St. Olaf).

The Gusties return 88.3 percent (204 of 231) of their points and 88.3 percent (69 of 76) of their goals from the 2019 team that won its second straight MIAC regular-season title and the playoff title in 2019. Six Gusties recorded seven points or more in 2019, and all seven return: senior forward Cole Schwartz (24g/7a), sophomore forward Raphael Cattelin (17g/15a), senior forward Matt Gibbons (8g/17a), senior midfielder Scott Heinen (4g/4a), sophomore defender Max McLaughlin (1g/8a) and junior defender Nicholas Leach (2g/3a). Sophomore goalkeeper Wesley Sanders was 17-3 with a 1.00 GAA and .763 save percentage (71 saves) in 2019.

TWO YEARS AGO: SJU went 0-2 against the Gusties during the 2019 season.

Gustavus 3, at Saint John's 2 (2OT)
SJU suffered a heart-breaking 3-2 loss in double overtime to Gustavus the last time these two teams met in Collegeville on Oct. 13, 2019. 

The Johnnies erased a 2-0 deficit with a pair of second-half goals, but Joe Brandel's header off a corner kick with 2:11 remaining in the second overtime hit the underside of the crossbar and broke the plane for the game-winning goal.

The Gusties found the scoreboard quickly with Cole Schwartz's 13th goal of the season in the fourth minute and made it 2-0 with a tally off a corner kick 23:36 into the game.

Sophomore forward Ryan Erickson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Eagan) cut the Johnnies' deficit to 2-1 with his first collegiate goal 1:57 into the second half. Kagan Foster '20 dribbled the ball into the middle of the box and flicked a pass to Erickson, who lobbed a shot over the keeper's head to the back of the net.

Wadsworth tallied the equalizer in the 68th minute with what can be described as an unexpected goal. He possessed the ball at the top of the box, faked a few passes/shots and snuck an attempt along the ground just inside the left post.

Gustavus held statistical advantages in shots (25-12), shots on goal (12-7), corner kicks (12-7) and fouls (21-13).

at Gustavus 6, Saint John's 2 (MIAC Playoff Semifinals)
The Johnnies ended the 2019 season with a 6-2 loss to Gustavus in the MIAC Playoff semifinals on Nov. 7, 2019, on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato.

Schwartz gave the top-seeded Gusties a quick 1-0 lead with his 20th goal of the season 55 seconds into the game, and added another 2:20 later. 

Foster cut the deficit in half for SJU with his team-leading 11th goal of the season 6:01 into the contest, but Raphael Cattelin answered with the first of his three goals in the 20th minute. Cattelin also assisted on two other goals.

Ben Becker '20 again cut SJU's deficit to one (3-2) with his ninth goal of the season in the 37th minute.

The Gusties, however, tallied three unanswered goals in the second half. GAC made it 5-2 with two goals 57 seconds apart, a breakaway from Cattelin in the 60th minute and Schwartz's third of the game. Cattelin completed his hat trick in the 69th minute.

SJU out-shot GAC 22-19, though the Gusties posted a 13-9 edge on goal, and registered an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 18-21-6 against Gustavus since 1979, including an 8-9-4 record in Collegeville. GAC brings a four-match win streak in the series to Haws Field.