Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – No. 22 Saint John's defeated Augsburg 3-2 in the MIAC Playoff Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Haws Field.
Third-seeded SJU (16-2-2, 7-2-1 MIAC) advances to face second-seeded Gustavus Adolphus (12-3-3, 8-0-2 MIAC) in the MIAC semifinals at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in St. Peter.
SJU scored two goals in the first half and a third quickly after the break before seceding a pair of goals to the Auggies late in the second half.
Freshman defender
Billy Cornett (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) opened the scoring for the Johnnies with his seventh goal of the season, a penalty kick (3-for-3) in the 31st minute after an Augsburg handball in the box.
Freshman forward
Soren Benson (Brainerd, Minn./Lake Region Christian) doubled the lead seven minutes later with his sixth goal of the season. Freshman
Ethan Brown (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) sent a ball to classmate
Laird Holden (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina) who was driving along the sideline. Holden beat his man on the outside and crossed the ball to Benson in the box, who beat an Auggie defender and the goalkeeper to the left corner.
Freshman defender
Aidan Buckneberg (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Southwest) scored the eventual game-winner 4:48 into the second half. The goal was Buckneberg's fourth of the season, all of which have come in the Johnnies' last six games. Sophomore midfielder
Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) started the play in the midfield, beating a defender along the sideline before passing the ball into the box. Freshman forward
Grady Monette (Andover, Minn.) touched the ball off the back of his foot to Buckneberg to convert. The assist for Ryan was his team- and nation-leading 13th of the season.
Caleb Ibarra erased the shutout for Augsburg (5-5-7, 4-3-3 MIAC) in the 59th minute and Liam Paradiso made it a one-goal game with 2:35 remaining. Sophomore goalkeeper
Austin Ertel (Brownsburg, Ind./Lawrence Central) denied Gio Casias' penalty kick, but Paradiso put the rebound away for his ninth goal of the season.
The start in net was the fourth of the season for Ertel, who finished with five saves to improve to 3-0 on the year.
SJU posted a slim edge in shots, 22-21 (10-8 on goal), which were comprised of a near-even split by half: 15-7 by SJU in the first half, 14-7 by AUG in the second. The home team tallied a 10-7 advantage in corner kicks.
