Saint John's hosts its second-straight, nationally ranked opponent - No. 16 St. Olaf - for a 12:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Haws Field. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-2-2, 2-2-0 MIAC) bounced back from an early 1-0 deficit with three-straight goals en route to a 5-2 win over No. 3 Augsburg on Tuesday (Sept. 30) in Collegeville. The Auggies struck first, as Ceazar Daniell walked through the Saint John's defense to put Division III's third-ranked team ahead with an early 1-0 lead just 2:54 into play. 

SJU responded less than three minutes later, taking advantage of a short corner kick between sophomore midfielder Asher Wynn (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) and senior defender Noah Hermanson (St. Paul, Minn./Holy Angels). Wynn fed Hermanson the ball from the corner, who launched it over the box and to the head of senior defender Foster Conlin (Mooresville, N.C./Mounds View) for his third goal of the season. 

The Johnnies became the first team in 11 games to score a second goal on Augsburg, as sophomore forward Ronan O'Connor (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) tallied his team- and MIAC-leading 11th of the season. Freshman midfielder Olin Franzwa (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) gathered a misplaced Augsburg free kick and sent it to the foot of classmate Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka), who booted it down the field. A racing O'Connor tucked the ball between the Augsburg keeper's legs for the lead.

Freshman defender Gabe Franzman (Bettendorf, Iowa) scored an unconventional third goal that proved to be the game-winner in minute 32, as his throw in from the sideline tipped off the Auggie keeper's hands and into the goal. 

Two minutes later, Augsburg was awarded a penalty kick which resulted in the team's MIAC-leading third PK goal of the season and a 3-2 SJU lead at the break. 

The Auggies applied sustained pressure for nearly 10 minutes after halftime, but a highlight-reel goal off the heads of Lisle Cherwien (Mound, Minn./Orono) and Conlin put the game out of reach. A free kick from Wynn on the sideline ended up in the box for Conlin, who headed the ball laterally to his teammate for goal four. 

Ryan got one of his own two minutes later, the first of his collegiate career, attacking down the goal line for a sharp-angle shot that beat the Augsburg keeper on the post.

Freshman goalkeeper Cole Hanson (Urbandale, Iowa) made eight saves to record his first collegiate win in his second start as a Johnnie.

The Auggies posted a 23-12 advantage in shots (10-7 on net) and a 9-5 edge in corner kicks.

The two teams combined for seven cards in the contest. Augsburg was issued a straight red card in the 75th minute and played a man down for the final 25:08.

BIG WIN: Tuesday's victory was SJU's first over a top-5 team on record and the first over a nationally ranked opponent since the Johnnies upset then-No. 19 Gustavus Adolphus, 2-1 in overtime, in the 2021 MIAC Playoffs.

RONAN O'POINTS: O'Connor now has 27 points (11g/5a) in 10 games this fall, which already tie him for the 11th-most in an SJU season. The 27 points are the most by a Johnnie since Michael Coborn '14 registered 30 (10g/10a) in 17 games in 2011. Ken Potts owns SJU's single-season record with 56 points (19g/18a) in 1974.

A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf (9-1-2, 4-0-0 MIAC) extended its MIAC regular-season unbeaten streak to 26 games (21-0-5 record) with a 6-1 drubbing of No. 24 Gustavus Adolphus on Tuesday (Sept. 30) in Northfield. Six different student-athletes, including five sophomores, scored a goal in the victory. Junior defender Ryan Bechtel is one of three Oles with five goals on the year and leads the team in assists (11) and points (21). Junior forward Abdirasak Bulale is next with 12 points (4g/4a), while sophomore forward Kymani Chitulangoma (5g/0a), sophomore midfielder Charlie Piller (3g/4a) and sophomore forward Jack Soares (5g/0a) have 10 points apiece. Senior Jack Hobday (5-1-1, 1.05 GAA, .811 save percentage in 602:22) and sophomore Beckett Carlson (4-0-1, 0.80 GAA, .750 save percentage in 448:54) have split most of the minutes in net.

LAST YEAR'S MEETING: Saint John's soccer suffered a late, 2-1 loss at St. Olaf last Oct. 26 (2024) in Northfield. All of the game's scoring occurred in the final eight minutes.

Midfielder Liam Hafenbrack erased the scoreless draw with his first collegiate goal early in the 83rd minute for SJU, but Abdirasak Bulale tied the game 22 seconds later for the Oles.

Bechtel scored the game-winning goal on a cross from his brother, Shea, with 2:21 remaining. Goalkeeper Evan Siefken '25 made nine saves in the defeat.

The Oles registered a 29-10 advantage in shots (12-3 on goal) and totaled an 8-0 margin in corner kicks.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies lead the series vs. St. Olaf with a 34-22-5 record since 1973, including an 18-11-3 mark in Collegeville. The Oles, however, have won each of the last six meetings overall and eight of the last 10.