No. 24 Saint John's soccer plays host to Macalester at 4:20 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Haws Field. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LITTLE LATER: Saturday's soccer match was originally scheduled for a 4 p.m. start but was pushed later to accommodate personnel working No. 5 SJU football's home game vs. No. 7 Bethel.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (10-1-0, 2-1-0 MIAC) recorded its ninth shutout of the season – 4-0 – over Saint Mary's on Wednesday (Sept. 30) in Collegeville. The Johnnies scored a pair of goals in each half, including two 13 seconds apart from sophomore midfielder Gabe Franzman (Bettendorf, Iowa) in the 51st minute.

Sophomore Taylor Petrich (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) gave SJU a quick 1-0 lead 3:29 into the game. A corner kick from freshman forward Ethan Brown (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) put the ball into the box and SMU failed to clear it, leaving Petrich a striking opportunity to convert. 

Brown doubled the lead 5:25 later, scoring off a cross from sophomore forward Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) in the box. The pass gave Ryan his team-leading eighth assist. 

Franzman scored the first of his two goals 5:23 into the second half off a free kick from freshman forward Grady Monette (Andover, Minn.). Sophomore forward Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) connected with a header to deliver the ball to Franzman across the box, who scored his fifth goal of his career off his head. 

Franzman converted just 13 seconds later for the final goal of the game, after Petrich stole the ball from SMU after the kickoff. Petrich dished it to Monette on the steal, who gave it back to Petrich to set up the goal. Petrich moved the ball across the box to Martin who dealt Franzman a one-touch into the left corner of the goal. 

The Johnnies had a number of other chances, but were haunted by 14 offsides calls. Freshman forward Charles Foslien (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka) also hit the crossbar in the 40th minute and Martin hit the pipe in the 58th minute.

Sophomore goalkeeper Austin Ertel (Brownsburg, Ind./Lawrence Central) made two saves for his first full shutout of the season.

SJU posted statistical advantages in shots (23-6), shots on goal (11-2) and corner kicks (14-3).

1990: The Johnnies' 10-1 start to the season is the program's best since 1990, when SJU also went 10-1 through the first 11 games (13-2 in the first 15) en route to an NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and 12-4 (8-2 MIAC) record. SJU opened the 1987 season with an 11-1-1 mark through 13 games and won 14-straight matches in 1986 before falling to UC-San Diego in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for that year's lone loss.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: SJU returned to the United Soccer Coaches' (USC) top 25 poll at No. 24 on Tuesday (Sept. 29). The Johnnies' national ranking of No. 20 for the week of Sept. 15-21 was the program's first in the top 25 since Sept. 22, 2015 (No. 20 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll).

SJU also moved up one spot to No. 2 in the USC's Region IX poll.

United Soccer Coaches Region IX Rankings
1. St. Olaf (No. 1 nationally)
2. SJU (No. 24 nationally)
3. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
4. Macalester
5. Gustavus Adolphus
6. Loras (Iowa)
7. Luther (Iowa)
8. Grinnell (Iowa)

The Johnnies are currently (though Oct. 1) No. 10 nationally in the Massey ratings.

NCAA STAT KINGS: The Johnnies currently (through Oct. 1) lead all divisions of NCAA soccer in assists (53), corner kicks per game (10.64), goals (51), goal differential (+48), penalty-kick percentage (1.000/7-for-7), scoring offense (4.64 gpg.) and total points (155).

Individually, Keekley is third in Division III in shutouts (6), fifth in GAA (0.256) and sixth in save percentage (.923); Ryan is third in assists (8); and Cornett is sixth in game-winning goals (3).

A LOOK AT THE SCOTS: Macalester (3-2-3, 2-1-0 MIAC) fell to Gustavus Adolphus 1-0 in dramatic fashion Wednesday night (Sept. 30) in St. Paul. The Scots and Gusties were locked in a standstill for much of the game before GAC's Kieran Mahan netted his fifth goal of the season in the 89th minute. The 1-0 loss was the second of the kind for Macalester. Senior goalkeeper Drew Moseman made five saves before letting in the late goal. The senior has started three of the eight games (four appearances) and is 2-1-0 with a 0.67 GAA and .875 save percentage (14 saves). The Scots also utilize sophomore keeper Justin Ratner, working a 1-1-3 record with a 0.40 GAA and .909 save percentage (20 saves) through four starts (six appearances). Freshman John Albright leads Macalester in goals (3) and points (6), followed by senior Kasdan Blattman with four points (1g/2a). 

LAST FALL: SJU dropped a 2-1 decision to Macalester last Oct. 11 (2025) in St. Paul. The two teams were stuck at a 1-1 draw until the 63rd minute when Macalester took the lead for good. SJU got a goal from sophomore forward Lisle Cherwien (Mound, Minn./Orono) in the first half but couldn't find the back of the net for the second equalizer in the second. 

Macalester wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, claiming possession on a missed Johnnie throw in to tee up the first goal of the game just 2:56 in. A MAC defender booted the ball to midfield to force a give-and-go play to Zach Liptzin, who tapped his second of the year past sophomore goalkeeper Cole Hanson (Urbandale, Iowa).

Cherwien scored his fifth goal of the season to tie the game almost 20 minutes later after turning a long ball from forward Connor Drong '26 past a defender and into the goal. 

MAC's scoring leader at the time, Kadsan Blattman, set a through-ball to an uncontested Chris Fantz in the second half for the game-winner in the 64th minute. 

Three of the Johnnies' remaining five shots landed on target, but each was met by Scot goalkeeper Drew Moseman. 

Hanson finished with three saves between the pipes, while Cherwien, Drong and junior defender Thomas Theising (Minneapolis, Minn./Wayzata) each led the Johnnies with two shots on goal.

SERIES HISTORY: The series between the Johnnies and Scots is even at 24-24-3 since 1981. SJU has a slight edge – 13-12-3 – in Collegeville.