The unbeaten Johnnie soccer team travels to face North Central for a 3:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Sept. 11, at Elliot Park Field in Minneapolis. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Sophomore forward Ronan O'Connor (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) scored a pair of goals 4:03 apart in the second half to lift Saint John's (2-0-2 overall) to a 2-0 shutout of Bethany Lutheran this past Sunday (Sept. 7) in Collegeville. O'Connor, who has now tallied a goal or more in each of the Johnnies' four games so far this fall, broke the scoreless stalemate for SJU early in the 76th minute and capitalized four minutes later for some insurance.

Freshman forward Lisle Cherwien (Mound, Minn./Orono) fed a pass up the right side to classmate James Torguson (Shakopee, Minn.), who sent a cross into the box to O'Connor for what proved to be the game-winning goal, his second of the season.

Freshman forward Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) began the second scoring play after he stole the ball from a BLC attacker near the Johnnies' defensive 30-yard mark, dribbled to the opposite side of the field and sent a through ball ahead to O'Connor. The sophomore maneuvered around his defender to the right and sent a shot to the left post for his sixth goal of the season and 12th of his career.

Freshman goalkeeper Austin Ertel (Brownsburg, Ind./Lawrence Central) stopped all seven shots on goal for his first collegiate shutout and improves to 2-0-1 on the young season.

RONAN IS ROLLIN': O'Connor was named the MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Monday (Sept. 8) after he scored four goals – two, including the game-winner in each contest – as SJU went 2-0 at home last week. He also added an assist for nine points in the two victories. He has scored a goal or more in each of the Johnnies' four games so far this fall and is second in the MIAC in both goals (6) – on just seven shots on goal – and points (13).

A LOOK AT THE RAMS: North Central (0-3-0 overall) fell at Simpson (Iowa) by a 2-0 score Monday night (Sept. 8). The Storm outshot NCU by a 21-3 (9-1 on goal) margin and posted an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks. Senior forward Alex Chacich scored the Rams' lone goal so far this fall in Sept. 1's season-opening, 4-1 loss at Hamline. NCU tied for sixth in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) last fall with a 3-10-1 record (7-13-1 overall) and was picked fifth in the UMAC preseason coaches' poll. Senior midfielder Ricardo Vera Martinez was All-UMAC honorable mention, started all 21 games and recorded a team-best seven assists in 2024.

FIRST MEETING: Thursday's match is the first meeting between the two soccer programs.