By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The 1982 Saint John's University soccer team wasn't exactly in need of a confidence boost.

With four All-MIAC picks back from the season before, and an All-American goalkeeper in Terry Leiendecker '84 minding the net, the Johnnies already had a pretty good sense of their own potential. 

Especially as they headed into a non-conference, home matchup against second-ranked, NAIA-power Sangamon State (now the University of Illinois-Springfield) on Oct. 17 with a record of 7-1-3 and riding a streak of seven-straight shutouts.

"Our teams during the 1980s were really good," said Pat Haws '72, the program's head coach from 1978 to 2009. "And by the 1982 season, I think our guys were starting to realize that. By that time, we knew we had a pretty good deal going up here in Collegeville – not just for a game or a season, but as a program overall."

That was certainly demonstrated against Sangamon as the Johnnies withstood everything thrown against them to emerge with a 0-0 tie after two overtimes – keeping their shutout streak alive.

"I had a shot that went right through their goalies hands and hit him on the forehead," recalls Steve Sinjem '83 (left), a senior captain on that year's team. "If that hadn't have happened, we would have won the game."

Sinjem also recalls that the game ended a bit prematurely.

"It was pretty wild," he said. "It ended in a bench-clearing brawl. A fight broke out with about two minutes left and the official just called it."

Sangamon would ascend to the top spot in the NAIA rankings the following week, leaving SJU with a rallying cry.

"I think we did pick up a little extra swagger after that," Haws said. "I remember us saying that they had to come to Collegeville to earn that No. 1 ranking."

Haws' team kept rolling as well, knocking off defending MIAC champion Bethel 4-0 on Oct. 27 in Collegeville (after tying the Royals 1-1 in two overtimes on Sept. 18 in Arden Hills) en route to the program's first conference title since 1979.

The Johnnies then defeated Saint Mary's 4-0 and Bethel 3-0 to earn the NAIA District 13 title and advance to the national tournament, running their shutout streak to 12 straight games.

That was where both the streak and season ended, though, as SJU fell 2-0 at Wisconsin-Parkside in the first round - on the same field where the two teams played to a 0-0 tie in two overtimes to start the season.

"When they scored that first goal to end the streak, the wind really came out of our sails," Haws recalls. "In retrospect, it probably would have been better if someone had scored on us before the playoffs started just to get that out of the way."

But despite the loss, the 1982 Johnnies had much to be proud of. 

The team finished with a record of 12-2-4 overall and had six players named All-MIAC. They were Leiendecker, midfielder Jeff Graen '84, defenders Tim Leonard '83 and Dave Rymanowski '83 and forwards Sulayman N'Jie '84 (right, who finished the season tied for second nationally in NAIA with 14 assists) and John Tracy '83 (who led SJU in scoring with nine goals and seven assists). 

Leiendecker was also named an All-American - the third (and to date last) time a Johnnie has earned that honor.

"We've had a lot of good teams here over the years, but that team ranks right up there," Haws said. "We had a ton of confidence because of Leiendecker, who just wasn't going to let other teams score on us. But also because of the guys we had in front of him who didn't let very much through to begin with.

"That was a great group of guys who believed in themselves from the start. It's a great way to begin the season when you have players who already have faith they can be champions."

"We had so many good players on that team starting with Terry," Sinjem added. "But also guys like Tony Mannella '84, who I think was one of the top defenders in the nation. There was just so much talent there."

10 years ago (2012) - Freshman quarterback Nick Martin '16 threw for two touchdowns and rushed for three more as the SJU football team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 51-14 win over Carleton on Oct. 13 in Clemens Stadium.

70 years ago (1952) - In his first season as the Johnnies' starting quarterback, Casey Vilandre '54 (who would switch to halfback when John Gagliardi took over as head coach the following season) ranked second in the MIAC in scoring after a game at Concordia on Oct. 18.

Vilandre's granddaughter, Lindsay Whalen, would become a standout basketball player at Hutchinson High School, the University of Minnesota and for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. She is now the head women's basketball coach for the Gophers.

50 years ago (1972) - Under the direction of Steve Radosevich '73, who had rowed the past two summers for a Duluth club, 16 Johnnies and four Bennies were learning the techniques of the sport in hopes of eventually starting a team. The Record reported the group was working out every other day on the Mississippi River.