Saint John's soccer visits Hamline for the regular-season finale at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in St. Paul. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (11-4-3, 4-4-1 MIAC) scored five goals in the second half, including three from sophomore forward Ronan O'Connor (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray), to clinch a spot in next week's six-team MIAC Playoffs with a 5-1 win at Saint Mary's on Tuesday (Oct. 28) in Winona.

O'Connor broke open the scoring 4:41 into the second half, as freshman midfielder Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) drew the foul in the box to set up the Johnnies' third converted PK of the season.

Just over six minutes later, O'Connor and freshman forward Lisle Cherwien (Mound, Minn./Orono) connected on the attack for a cross from Cherwien into the box, which sophomore defender Thomas Theising (Minneapolis, Minn./Wayzata) tapped into the net for his first collegiate goal.

O'Connor added his second of the game two minutes later, with Cherwien once more directing the offense after a pass from senior defender Caden Ligman (St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park) put the ball into the SJU attacking half. Cherwien sent a shot off the Cardinal keeper's hands that bounced off the post and then to the foot of O'Connor in the box. 

O'Connor was denied on his second PK attempt in the 74th minute when SMU's Ryan Horlock made the save to prevent him from completing his hat trick. But, five minutes later, O'Connor reconciled his miss, sending a header from freshman defender Ryan Josephson (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn) into the bottom corner of the goal.

Ivan Ruiz erased the shutout for SMU with his third goal of the season in the 84th minute, but freshman defender Peter Alberigi (Frisco, Texas/Founders Classical Academy) capitalized on a corner kick play from senior forward Connor Drong (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) and sophomore midfielder Asher Wynn (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) for his first collegiate goal with 31 seconds remaining. 

Freshman Cole Hanson (Urbandale, Iowa) made one save to earn his fourth-straight victory and improve his season record to 6-2-1.

SJU totaled a 28-10 advantage in shots, including a massive 20-2 margin on goal, and posted 11 corner kicks to the Cardinals' two.

RECORD TIED: Tuesday's hat trick was the second of the season (team's third) for O'Connor, who tied the program's single-season record for goals set by Ken Potts in 1974 with 19 in 18 games this fall. O'Connor's 48 points (19g/10a) are also second-most behind Potts' 56 in '74.

HELLO PLAYOFFS: The MIAC Playoff appearance is the Johnnies' 14th overall since the tournament was established in 2003 and the fifth in the last six seasons. SJU, which moved up one spot to No. 7 in Tuesday's (Oct. 28) United Soccer Coaches Region IX poll, will travel to face an opponent to-be-determined in the MIAC Quarterfinals on Monday, Nov. 3.

HAT TRICK OF HAT TRICKS: SJU has now scored a trio of hat tricks, two of which belong to leading-scoring O'Connor. Freshman forward Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) also tallied three in a 4-1 victory over St. Scholastica on Sept. 22. Both players have been award MIAC weekly honors for their performances. It is the first season since at least 2000 that the Johnnies have completed the trifecta three times. 

A LOOK AT THE PIPERS: Hamline (9-7-3, 1-6-2 MIAC) suffered a 3-0 loss – its sixth defeat in a row – in its non-conference finale at Bethany Lutheran Tuesday (Oct. 28) in Mankato. BLC scored all three of its goals 20 minutes apart from each other and out-shot HU, 26-8. Freshman forward Johanso Camacho leads the team in scoring with 17 points (6g/5a). Sophomore midfielder Beniam Makonnen is second with 13 (6g/1a), while freshman midfielder Chris Palma is third with 11 (5g/1a). Junior goalkeeper Alec Setterberg has seen the most time in goal, playing and starting 16 games with a 7-7-2 record, 1.65 GAA and .745 save percentage (76).

LAST FALL: Ricky Kwabena Yawson scored the game's lone goal, his seventh of the season, in the 55th minute for Hamline, which defeated Saint John's by a 1-0 score – its fourth of the season – on Sept. 24, 2024.  

Ricky Kwabena Yawson scored the game's lone goal, his seventh of the season, in the 55th minute for Hamline. Goalkeeper Evan Siefken '25 made two saves in the loss, one in each half.

HU edged SJU in total shots, 12-11, though the Johnnies posted a 5-3 advantage on goal. Two of SJU's five shots on target came off the foot of sophomore midfielder Asher Wynn (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View). Sophomore defender Brendan Hainey (Minneapolis, Minn./Holy Angels), senior defender Carter Hermanson (St. Paul, Minn./Holy Angels) and Mahmoud Soumah '25 accounted for the others. 

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 36-9-3 against the Pipers since 1980, including a 16-7-1 mark on the Pipers' home pitch. SJU won 23 consecutive games against HU from 1982-2004 and is 4-1-0 in its last five meetings.