Saint John's soccer returns to conference action with a 3:30 p.m. game at St. Scholastica on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Duluth. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-4-4, 3-2-2 MIAC) went 1-1 over the weekend.

Saint John's 3, at Bethel 1 (Oct. 14)
All of the game's scoring came after halftime. The Johnnies ended their scoreless streak at 425:55 on a header goal from freshman defender McKaid Schotzko (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes), off a long throw-in from junior defender Joe Pearson (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech), to gain a 1-0 lead 2:23 into the second half.

Sophomore defender Noah Hermanson (St. Paul, Minn./Holy Angels) made it 2-0 with his first goal of the season – on a pair of assists from junior defender Landon Atkins (Lakeville, Minn./North) and senior midfielder Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) – in the 72nd minute.

Bethel cut its deficit in half with a penalty kick in the 84th minute, but junior midfielder Christian Rodriguez (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) gave the two-goal lead back to SJU on a cross from junior forward Mahmoud Soumah (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) with 2:05 to play.

Junior goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North) made six saves to improve his record to 5-3-4 (2-2-2 MIAC) this fall.

at Wartburg 2, Saint John's 0 (Oct. 15)
Sophomore goalkeeper Sam Steil (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) denied Curtis Ratzer on a penalty kick but the save went straight to Paul Devine, who put away the rebound with one second into the 30th minute. Steil finished with seven saves in his second start of the season for SJU.

Yushin Gossin put away a free kick from Devine in the 60th minute to end the scoring for the Knights.

Sophomore forward Carter Hermanson (St. Paul, Minn./Holy Angels) was denied on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute for SJU, which was out-shot 19-12 (9-4 on goal). N. Hermanson and Rodriguez led the visitors with three shots apiece.

ROAD TRIP: The Johnnies are expected to travel over 1,000 miles in a span of four days when it completes Tuesday's trip to Duluth. Mileage listed below is round-trip.

-Oct. 14 at Bethel: 144 miles
-Oct. 15 at Wartburg: 552 miles
-Oct. 17 at St. Scholastica: 320 miles

A LOOK AT THE SAINTS: St. Scholastica (2-10-1, 0-6-1 MIAC) saw its winless streak move to six games (0-5-1 record) with a scoreless draw on Saturday (Oct. 14) at Saint Mary's. SMU out-shot CSS 30-17 and totaled a 10-3 advantage in corner kicks. Junior midfielder Keegan Chastey leads the team in goals (6) and points (14). Three goalkeepers have combined for a 3.08 GAA and a .645 save percentage.

LAST YEAR: SJU kept its postseason hopes alive with a key 3-0 shutout of St. Scholastica last Oct. 26 (2022) at Haws Field.

Junior goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North) made a number of key saves in the second half to keep St. Scholastica off the scoreboard. Illhan Rrahoshi hit the left pipe on a breakaway 6:51 into the game and Siefken denied Andres Gradillo at point-blank range, both on the initial shot and the ensuing rebound, early in the 17th minute. The Saints out-shot the Johnnies 10-4 in the first half, including 9-2 on goal. SJU turned the tide offensively in the second half and posted a 10-8 advantage in shots (7-3 on net).

Sophomore forward Alex Bowman (Elk River, Minn./Rogers), fresh off his goal in SJU's 2-1 loss to Macalester (on Oct. 22, 2022), opened the scoring on a feed from classmate Foster Conlin (Mooresville, N.C./Mounds View) in the 58th minute.

Bowman then put away a rebound off forward Ryan Erickson's '23 initial shot on goal 3:53 later for his fifth goal of the season. 

C. Hermanson ended the game's scoring with his second collegiate tally, from classmate Cooper Nowak (Princeton, Minn.) in the 78th minute.

Siefken set a career high with 12 saves to move his season record to 6-5-3 and earn his third shutout of the season (sixth of his career).

CSS ended the game with close stat advantages in shots (18-14) and corner kicks (6-5).

The game was the first between the two soccer programs in Collegeville since Aug. 31, 1996 (a 4-0 SJU win). 

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 15-3 all-time against the Saints, including a 5-2 record in Duluth. CSS, however, has won each of the last two meetings on its home pitch.