Box Score
ST. PETER, Minn. – No. 22 Saint John's soccer advanced to the MIAC playoff championship game for the fourth time in program history with a dramatic, 2-1 overtime win at Gustavus Adolphus on Thursday, Nov. 5.
After second-seeded Gustavus (12-4-3, 8-0-2 MIAC) erased SJU's 1-0 lead with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, sophomore midfielder
Taylor Petrich (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) served as the hero for the third-seeded Johnnies 3:07 into overtime. Freshman forward
Grady Monette (Andover, Minn.) serviced a corner kick that sophomore midfielder
Olin Franzwa (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) played down to Petrich's foot. The goal was Petrich's third of the season and second game-winner.
The Johnnies (17-2-2, 7-2-1 MIAC) travel to top-seeded and No. 1 St. Olaf (17-0-3, 9-0-1 MIAC) for the MIAC playoff championship and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in Northfield. The championship-game appearance is the first for SJU since 2014.
Saint John's settled into the game around minute 20, fending off early chances from the Gusties, who handed the Johnnies their first loss of the season – 2-0 – on Sept. 19 in Collegeville. Freshman defender
Tommy Voshell (St. Paul, Minn./Central) and sophomore forward
Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) each had scoring chances within 20 seconds of each other, but both just missed early in the game.
Freshman forward
Soren Benson (Brainerd, Minn./Lake Region Christian) broke the stalemate in the 40th minute for his second goal in as many games and seventh of the season. A Gustie defender headed down a loose ball in the box with intent to clear but was met with the foot of Benson, who rifled it into the back of the net.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Austin Ertel (Brownsburg, Ind./Lawrence Central) made a pair of saves – including a dive to rob Gustavus' Simon Woods of a goal on the post – to hold the lead for the Johnnies entering halftime.
Freshman center back
Billy Cornett (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) robbed GAC of a goal at 47:27, as a shot from reigning MIAC Offensive Player of the Year Joe Flory drifted behind Ertel toward the goal line before being cleared by Cornett.
Monette had a pair of breakaways in the final 10 minutes of play, but was stopped both times by Gustavus goalkeeper Jackson Baker. His first attempt left a rebound for fellow freshman forward
Jacob Oliver (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral), but Oliver's shot was saved by a sprawling Gustie defender.
As time ticked down, the Gusties moved Baker to the attacking half and converted with 30 seconds remaining on a loose ball in the box.
Sophomore defender
James Torguson (Shakopee, Minn.) forced the corner kick for the Johnnies after Gustavus started OT with two quick shots. Torguson attempted to center the ball and the Gustie defender kneed it out of play to set up the game-winner.
Ertel finished with a career-high eight saves in the game, six of which came in the second half. Monette led SJU with three shots and two on target.
Thursday's win snapped SJU's seven-game losing streak in the series vs. Gustavus and was the team's first since a 2-1 win in overtime on Nov. 1, 2021, in the MIAC quarterfinals (in St. Peter). That result was also the Johnnies' last overtime victory until Thursday.
