The Johnnie soccer team travels south to face No. 7 Gustavus Adolphus at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, in St. Peter. – Live Stats/Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (4-0-2, 1-0-0 MIAC) started the conference schedule with a 7-0 win over Saint Mary's last Saturday (Sept. 17) at Haws Field. The Johnnies out-shot the Cardinals by a 23-8 margin (15-3 on goal) and had another goal disallowed in the second half due to offsides. Three Johnnies recorded their first collegiate goals in the victory.

Junior defender Cole Ober (Hudson, Wis.) started the scoring with his first collegiate goal in the 14th minute and freshman forward Cooper Nowak (Princeton, Minn.) burned by the SMU defense for his second goal of the season early in the 38th minute.

Senior forward Kevin Arthur (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) ended the first half with his first collegiate goal at the 41:07 mark and senior midfielder Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) put away a penalty kick 8:10 after halftime for his fourth goal of the season and 12th of his career.

Senior midfielder Kevin Stark-Haws (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep) gave SJU a 5-0 lead in the 78th minute and freshman forward Alex Bowman (Elk River, Minn./Rogers) tallied two goals in the final seven minutes. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North), the reigning MIAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, made two saves and senior Jake Swanson (Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson) played the last 14:21 and made one stop.

GOALS APLENTY: The seven goals were the most for SJU since Sept. 21, 2019 (a 7-2 home win over Hamline) and the seven-goal margin is the largest since Sept. 5, 2004 (a 9-1 home victory over Northland, Wis.). The margin of victory was the largest for the Johnnies in a conference game since Sept. 26, 2000 (an 8-0 home win over Augsburg).

MIAC-OPENING SUCCESS CONTINUES: The Johnnies are now 34-6-4 against the Cardinals since 1981, including an 18-2-3 record in Collegeville and 28-9-4 in the MIAC opener (15-5-2 in Collegeville).

REGIONALLY RANKED: Despite the convincing win, SJU slipped one spot to No. 6 in the latest Region IX poll released by United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday (Sept. 20).

1. Gustavus Adolphus (No. 7 nationally)
2. Loras, Iowa (No. 17 nationally)
3. Wartburg, Iowa
4. Luther, Iowa
5. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
6. SJU
7. Augsburg
8. St. Olaf

NATIONAL POLLS: SJU received votes in the first D3soccer.com Top 25 poll of the 2022 season released Tuesday (Sept. 20). GAC was ranked No. 18, but moved up nine spots to No. 7 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll posted the same day.

A LOOK AT THE GUSTIES: Gustavus Adolphus (5-0-2, 2-0 MIAC) blanked the defending MIAC champion, Carleton, by a 3-0 score last Saturday (Sept. 17) in Northfield. Junior Otis Anderson scored two goals, the contest's first in the seventh minute and a penalty kick with eight minutes remaining, to earn MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors. Juniors Owen Johnson and Alex Krumenauer lead the team with five points (2g/1a) apiece. Senior goalkeeper Wesley Sanders has played all 630 minutes in net so far this season and touts a 0.29 GAA (two goals allowed) and a .846 save percentage (11 saves) with five shutouts. GAC was scheduled to host Nebraska Wesleyan Tuesday for a non-conference game, but the contest was canceled due to excessive heat in southern Minnesota.

LAST FALL: The Johnnies dropped a 1-0 decision at home to Gustavus during the regular season, but exacted revenge with a 2-1, overtime win in the MIAC quarterfinals in St. Peter.

Gustavus Adolphus 1, at Saint John's 0 (Sept. 24, 2021)
Scott Heinen scored the deciding goal for Gustavus early in the 62nd minute. Siefken made a diving save on a shot from GAC's Matt Gibbons, but the rebound when to Siefken's right and found a wide-open Heinen. Siefken finished with seven saves in the loss.

The Johnnies nearly tied the game on a pair of shots that just missed wide of the right post in the final minutes, senior forward Matt T. Anderson (Apple Valley, Minn./Holy Angels) with 3:50 remaining and sophomore midfielder Christian Rodriguez (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) with 17 seconds left.

GAC out-shot SJU 19-7 (8-0 on net) and totaled 15-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Saint John's 2, at Gustavus Adolphus 1 OT (MIAC Quarterfinals; Nov. 1, 2021)
SJU advanced to the MIAC semifinals with a 2-1 overtime win - the 100th of head coach John Haws' career - over then-No. 19 Gustavus.

Forward Tommy Picka '22 scored both goals for sixth-seeded SJU. M.D. Anderson dug the ball out of a battle near the midline and played it to Stark-Haw, who found junior midfielder Brian Real Juarez (Shakopee, Minn.) out wide. Real Juarez then sent the ball behind GAC's back line to a slashing run by Picka, who lofted it over the keeper for his third game-winning goal of the season 5:40 into the extra session.

Picka gave SJU an early 1-0 lead on penalty kick, SJU's first attempt of the season, 17:54 into the game. Senior forward Ryan Erickson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Eagan) drew the foul in the box following a textbook through-ball from M.D. Anderson.

Ethan Miller tied the game for GAC, however, off a corner kick 4:15 later.

The third-seeded Gusties out-shot the Johnnies by a 22-4 margin (11-2 on goal) as Siefken made 10 saves in the victory.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 19-23-6 against Gustavus since 1979, including an 11-11-3 record in St. Peter.