The Johnnie soccer team plays host to Hamline for a 1 p.m. game this Saturday, Sept. 16, at Haws Field. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: No. 18 Macalester handed Saint John's (3-2-1, 0-1-0 MIAC) a 5-1 loss in the MIAC soccer opener on Wednesday night (Sept. 13) in St. Paul. The Scots received goals from five different players, including a trio in the first half, for a 3-0 lead. Cody Da opened the scoring 13:49 into the game when a long pass turned into a breakaway and Nick Kent made it 2-0 on a penalty kick, due to an alleged SJU handball in the box, at the 18:44 mark. Zach Liptzin gave the home team a 3-0 lead on a sharp-angle shot that snuck in the top-right corner with 6:47 left in the first half.

Freshman midfielder Andrew Pitzner (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) cut the deficit to 3-1 for SJU with his first collegiate goal, on a cross from sophomore forward Cooper Nowak (Princeton, Minn.), in the 74th minute. Macalester, however, answered on a goal from Hans Haenicke 1:44 later and Elijah Edelman ended the scoring on a free kick with 4:18 remaining.

Junior goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North) made 10 saves in 64 minutes of play, while sophomore Sam Steil (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) made his collegiate debut and manned the net for the final 26 minutes.

A LOOK AT THE PIPERS: Hamline (4-1, 0-1 MIAC) suffered its first loss of the season – 5-1 – at home to Augsburg Wednesday (Sept. 13) afternoon in St. Paul. The Auggies built a 5-0 lead in the first 32:54 of the game before junior midfielder Jude Le erased the shutout with his first goal of the season for HU. Augsburg out-shot the Pipers by an 18-3 margin, including 13-2 in the first half, and the home team did not record a shot on goal in the game. Freshman midfielder Ryder Tomlinson Sterud leads the team with seven points (2g/4a) and is joined atop the team's leaderboard by senior midfielder Jared Garcia, junior defender Jessie Juarez and freshman forward James Sondo with two goals apiece so far this fall. Senior Luke Rimington (2-1, 2.67 GAA, .500 save percentage) has made three starts in goal for HU, to junior Ethan Schauer's two (2-0, 1.00 GAA, .667 save percentage), this season.

LAST FALL: SJU erased a 2-1 deficit with three unanswered goals over the game's final 25:07 to earn a 4-2 road win at Hamline last Oct. 15 (2022) in St. Paul.

Hamline gained its first and only lead of the game, 2-1, on a goal from Nate Vogel in the 61st minute. The Johnnies, however, responded by posting a 10-2 advantage in shots (6-1 on goal), three of which found the net, over the remainder of the game.

Senior midfielder Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep) tied the game at 2-2 with his fifth goal of the season and 13th of his career in the 65th minute. Defender Cavin Allen '23 sent a free kick up the left side to forward Ryan Erickson '23, who turned the corner and crossed a one-timer to Anderson in the box.

Defender Aidan Becken '23 tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal - a header off a corner kick from midfielder Sawyer Schugel '23 - in the 76th minute. The game-winner was Becken's second of the season (fifth career tally). 

Midfielder Kevin Stark-Haws '23 added an insurance goal, his third of the season, with 5:39 to play.

Senior forward Kaidan Popp (Redmond, Wash./Mount Si) gave SJU an early 1-0 lead with his fourth goal of the season and sixth of his career in the 15th minute, with assists going to Erickson and sophomore defender Foster Conlin (Mooresville, N.C./Mounds View). Logan Weller tied the game at 1-1 for HU on a rebound off his initial shot on net in the 22nd minute.

Siefken made four saves to move his record to 5-3-3 on the season. SJU finished with a 20-11 (10-6 on goal) advantage in shots, including a 14-3 performance in the second half, and an 8-2 margin in corner kicks.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies lead the series with a 33-8-3 record since 1981, including an 18-2-2 mark on their home pitch. SJU won 23 consecutive games against HU from 1982-2004.