The Johnnie soccer team hosts St. Scholastica at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26, at Haws Field. – Live Stats/Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-5-3, 3-4-1 MIAC) suffered a 2-1 loss to Macalester on Saturday (Oct. 22) in Collegeville. Following a scoreless first half, Branko Sciortino gave the Scots the lead with a penalty kick 3:05 after halftime and made it a 2-0 advantage 4:24 later. 

Freshman forward Alex Bowman (Elk River, Minn./Rogers) cut the deficit in half for SJU with his third goal of the season in the 79th minute, thanks to passes from classmate Riley Buxell (Afton, Minn./Stillwater Area) and senior forward Ryan Erickson (Eagan, Minn./Inver Grove Heights).

Senior defender Cavin Allen (Excelsior, Minn./Chanhassen) had an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds, but his free kick just cleared the crossbar.

Sophomore goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North) tied a career-high with 10 saves in the loss.

Mac recorded narrow statistical margins in shots, 16-13 (12-7 on net), and corner kicks (8-6).

THE PLAYOFF PICTURE: SJU enters Wednesday's game tied with St. Scholastica for the sixth and final MIAC Playoff berth with 10 points each in the standings. Bethel is close behind with nine points. CSS hosts last-place Saint Mary's Saturday, while Bethel travels Wednesday to Concordia and hosts Augsburg Saturday. SJU ends its regular-season schedule Saturday at Carleton, where the Johnnies are 10-9-2 since 1983, including a 1-6-2 record in their last nine trips to Bell Field.

A LOOK AT THE SAINTS: St. Scholastica (5-8-3, 3-4-1 MIAC) played Carleton to a 1-1 tie Saturday in Northfield. Senior Jordan Finneran gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 68th minute, though the Knights were able to tie it in the 85th minute despite being down a man for the game's final 20:31 due to a red card. Sophomore Keegan Chastey leads the team in goals (5) and points (13), and senior Arseno Hamilton is close behind with 11 points (4g/3a). Junior Liam Lothian has played the most of CSS's four goalkeepers and has a 3-5-2 record, 2.18 GAA and a .697 save percentage (46 saves).

LAST YEAR: SJU went 0-2 at St. Scholastica last fall.

at St. Scholastica 2, Saint John's 0 (Sept. 1, 2021)
SJU opened the 2021 season with a 2-0, non-conference loss in Duluth. CSS gained a 1-0 lead on a goal from Nolan Friday in the 27th minute. Finneran serviced a long ball to senior Finigan Huffington at the back post, who redirected a header back across the goal to Friday. Hamilton made it 2-0 with a free kick from 54 yards out in the 59th minute.

Siefken made one save in his first collegiate appearance as SJU out-shot CSS, 10-6 (5-3 on net).

at St. Scholastica 2, Saint John's 1 (Oct. 26, 2021)
The Johnnies suffered late loss, 2-1, in their first conference meeting with St. Scholastica. Finneran scored the game-winning goal for CSS with 2:22 remaining. The Saints gained a 1-0 lead on a goal from Chris Galley in the 24th minute.

Senior midfielder Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) tied the game at 1-1 for SJU with his fourth goal of the season (seventh of his career) early in the 74th minute. A corner kick from Tommy Picka '22 found Erickson, who chipped it to Anderson for the game-tying tally.

An SJU goal from Guy Mohs '22 was disallowed, and instead a foul was issued, in the 53rd minute.

Siefken made four saves in the loss. CSS posted a narrow edge in shots, 13-11, though shots on net were even at 7-7. SJU out-shot the Saints 7-4 in the second half and recorded a 7-4 margin in corner kicks for the game.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 14-3 all-time against St. Scholastica, including a 4-1 record in Collegeville. Wednesday's game is the first between the two programs in Collegeville since Aug. 31, 1996 (a 4-0 SJU win). SJU hosted the Saints on Sept. 18, 2005, at Saint Benedict (a 5-0 SJU win).