Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's soccer opened its 2026 season with a 2-0 shutout of St. Norbert (Wis.) on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Haws Field.
A pair of freshmen accounted for the goals and another newcomer, sophomore transfer
Alex Keekley (St. Louis Park, Minn./Minnetonka), made three saves for the shutout in his SJU debut. Seven of the team's 11 starters – five freshmen and two transfers – were new to the Johnnies' soccer program.
Freshman defender
Billy Cornett (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) gave SJU a quick 1-0 lead just 1:14 into the match. A throw-in from sophomore forward
Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) found the head of classmate
Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount), who drove the ball away from the net to sophomore midfielder
James Torguson (Shakopee, Minn.). Torguson found Cornett streaking along the top of the box and the freshman took a touch, spun and launched a shot to the top-right corner of the net.
Cornett's tally was the fastest for SJU to start a season in exactly nine years – Sept. 1, 2017 – when a Zack Boerjan cross went off a Nebraska Wesleyan defender for an own goal just 32 seconds into the eventual 4-3 overtime win in Collegeville. SJU's
Tudor Flintham '06 was in his third season as head coach of the Prairie Wolves at the time.
Cornett nearly had his second goal of the game but it was disallowed due to a foul on the corner kick early in the 52nd minute.
Freshman midfielder
Laird Holden (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina) added the insurance goal with 2:12 to play. Keekley's punt connected with Ryan, who dribbled into the box and found Holden open to his left for a nifty one-timer.
SJU posted a 14-7 advantage in shots (9-4 on goal) and a 6-0 margin in corner kicks.
The Johnnies open a four-game stretch over five days – including three straight – with a 3 p.m. match on Friday, Sept. 4, at Minnesota-Morris. SJU travels to Crown on Saturday (Sept. 5) before returning home to host Coe (Iowa) at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, followed by a trip on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to Bethany Lutheran.
