Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Saint John's soccer soared to a 7-0 victory – the Johnnies' third in a row – over North Central on Thursday, Sept. 11 at Elliot Park Field. 

Reigning MIAC Athlete of the Week Ronan O'Connor (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) scored the first hat trick of his career and extended his goal streak to five games after tallying the Johnnies' first, second and sixth goals. The sophomore forward assisted the fifth for a seven-point game, bettering his five-point outing against Crown last Wednesday (Sept. 3).

-O'Connor's seven points are the most by any player in a single game since 2000. 

-He's the first Johnnie to net a hat trick in six years since Ben Becker '20 scored three in SJU's 5-2 victory at Northwestern on Sept. 7, 2019. 

-He's the ninth Johnnie to score three goals in a game since 2000, joining now head coach Tudor Flintham '06, who netted one in a 9-0 win at Northland (Wis.) on Sept. 5, 2004.

The seven goals scored were the most by the Johnnies, on the road, since Oct. 1, 1994 – an 8-0 victory at Hamline.

Freshman midfielder Ike Deuel (Maple Grove, Minn.) quarterbacked the first goal of the game in the 13th minute, walking the ball from the Johnnies' defensive half through the North Central formation. Deuel chipped a pass through the gap to senior defender Carter Hermanson (St. Paul, Minn./Holy Angels), who was fronted by the Rams' aggressive keeper. Hermanson nudged the ball to O'Connor, who buried the eventual game-winner, his third of the year. 

Seven minutes later, O'Connor connected with Hermanson once more for the second of the game. Hermanson attempted a shot that landed off-target and deflected off the body of classmate Alex Bowman (Elk River, Minn./Rogers). The ball slipped through the hands of the leaping NCU goalkeeper and onto the right foot of O'Connor, who just needed a light tap to double the lead.

Sophomore forward Micah O'Leary (Phoenix, Ariz./Casa Grande) put the Johnnies' up 3-0 before the end of the half, playing another second-chance opportunity, this time created by a Thomas Theising (Minneapolis, Minn./Wayzata) free kick. Theising's ball deflected off freshman Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) in front of freshman forward Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount), who delivered the assist on O'Leary's first collegiate tally.



A frustrated Ram defense conceded a penalty kick five minutes after the break, as freshman midfielder James Torguson (Shakopee, Minn.) drew the call in the box. Martin delivered the goal, the first of his career and fourth for the Johnnies. Martin's tally was the first PK for SJU since Matt Anderson '23 converted on Sept. 3, 2023 at Carroll (Wis.).

Momentum carried into another collegiate first, this time for freshman forward Lisle Cherwien (Mound, Minn./Orono), who put SJU up 5-0 six minutes later. A foul in the Johnnies' defensive half of the field resulted in a free kick for Ryan, who booted the ball nearly all the way down the field to O'Connor, who set up Cherwien with a high pass in the box that he headed into the goal. 

O'Connor completed his hat trick after a North Central defensive blunder gave the ball to an attacking Carter Gellner (Chaska, Minn./Chanhassen), who passed the ball to O'Connor for goal six of the afternoon. 

The goal helped O'Connor secure SJU's first 20-point season since Kagan Foster '20 totaled 26 (11g/4a) in 18 games during the 2019 season. And he has already bettered his first-year statistics with 20 points compared to last season's total of 14 (6g/2a) in 15 contests.

The seventh and final tally came off the head of senior defender Noah Hermanson (St. Paul, Minn./Holy Angels), who found the right corner off a Matt Holmes (Edina, Minn.) corner kick. 

In total, SJU out-shot North Central 26-3 and 15-3 in shots on goal. Freshman Austin Ertel (Brownsburg, Ind./Lawrence Central) made all three saves for his second-consecutive shutout, while a pair of NCU keepers made eight saves. SJU also held the advantage in corner kicks, 13-1. 

Saint John's has the rest of the weekend off before traveling to face Wisconsin-River Falls for a 4:30 p.m. game on Monday, Sept. 15.