The Johnnie soccer team visits Wisconsin-Superior for a 2:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 12. – Live Stats | Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (5-0-0 overall) continued its hot start with a 5-0 victory at Bethany Lutheran on Tuesday night (Sept. 8) in Mankato. The win was the Johnnies' fifth in seven days and fourth of five goals or more.

Sophomore goalkeeper Alex Keekley (St. Louis Park, Minn./Minnetonka) kicked a free ball that passed the halfway line into BLC territory where it was headed three times in a row before being knocked out of play by the Vikings. Sophomore forward Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) elected to move quickly with his throw-in, which landed directly on the foot of junior forward Ronan O'Connor (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray). O'Connor controlled the ball before making a play to freshman forward Ethan Brown (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) who one-touched it into the goal for his first collegiate tally 14:57 into the game.

SJU kept the offensive pressure on, as freshman forward Grady Monette (Andover, Minn.) – the reigning MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week – hit a crossbar in the 24th minute followed by a disallowed goal from sophomore forward Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) due to offsides at 30:53.

Freshman forward Charles Foslien (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka) reinstated the 2-0 lead six minutes later, stealing the ball from a BLC defender at the top of the box before soaring it into the top right corner. He almost had another shortly after, narrowly hitting the Viking goalkeeper after a pass from freshman forward Andrew Panner (Minnetonka, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's).

Brown gave the Johnnies a bit more separation after Keekley faced his first shots on goal in over 114 minutes with his second goal of the game at 56:54. O'Connor gathered the second ball off a James Torguson (Shakopee, Minn.) throw-in and dished it to Monette, who paused just enough to feign a shot before leaving it for a striking Brown to tap in.

The Johnnies, who have scored 16 of their 27 goals in the second half, added another in the 66th minute, this time from O'Connor. Freshman forward Soren Benson (Brainerd, Minn./Lake Region Christian) kept the ball in play and made a quick cross into the box that O'Connor curved past the keeper for his third goal of the season and 29th of his career.

Panner added another in the 79th minute, knocking in a throw-in from junior midfielder Thomas Theising (Minneapolis, Minn./Wayzata) that deflected off a BLC player in the box for his first collegiate goal.

Keekley made three saves for his fourth shutout in four starts.

NCAA STATS: SJU has out-scored the opposition 27-0 and recorded a sizeable margin in shots (116-22), shots on goal (66-11) and corner kicks (57-4). The Johnnies enter the weekend (through Sept. 10) as the NCAA Division III leader in assists (25), corner kicks per game (11.4), goals (27), GAA (0.00), goal differential (+27), penalty-kick percentage (1.000/4-for-4), save percentage (1.000), shutout percentage (1.000) and total points (79). 

Individually, Keekley is the Division III leader in GAA (0.00), save percentage (1.000) and shutouts (4), and is third in goalie minutes played (360:00). Ryan is second in assists with five.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Monette was named the MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday (Sept. 8), while freshman defender Billy Cornett (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) was named The House Food & Tap's SJU Athlete of the Week.

Monette led SJU with eight points (3g/2a) and 16 shots (eight on goal) as the Johnnies opened the 2026 season with four-straight shutouts last week. One of his three goals was a game-winner and he assisted on another.

Cornett totaled seven points (3g/1a), including two game-winning goals, and helped SJU post four-straight shutouts to start the season from the backline last week. The four shutouts through the season's first four games were a program record. 

A LOOK AT THE YELLOWJACKETS: Wisconsin-Superior (1-1-1 overall) dropped a 3-0 decision at home to Gustavus Adolphus on Wednesday night (Sept. 9). The Gusties' Kieran Mahan scored a hat trick in a span of 5:10: 13:05, 16:19 and 18:15. GAC posted a narrow edge in shots (15-11 overall, 9-5 on goal), though UWS posted a 7-3 margin in corner kicks and yellow cards (5-2). The Yellowjackets were picked to repeat as UMAC champions in the preseason coaches' poll following their undefeated conference season (12-0 UMAC, 16-7 overall) a year ago. Sophomore forward Seth Davidson, the reigning UMAC Rookie of the Year, posted 40 points (16g/8a) last season and leads UWS in goals (3) and points (7) through three games this fall. Senior midfielder Harvey McLoughlin was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region fourth team last season, while senior defender Jacob Wyles was the UMAC defensive player of the year.

LAST FALL: SJU erupted for four second-half goals in a 7-2 victory over Superior last Oct. 17 (2025) in Collegeville. O'Connor and defender – now student-assistant coach – Jonathan Rinaldo each scored a pair of goals and had an assist or more in the victory for SJU.

O'Connor created the first scoring chance of the game for the Johnnies just five minutes into the game, as a bouncing ball in the box landed on his foot for a direct attempt at the UWS goal. His shot was saved by Yellowjacket goalkeeper Patrick Sessions, but the rebound fell to forward Alex Bowman '26, who dove to send his second of the season and 15th of his career into the net.

Superior evened the score at 1-1 four minutes later, taking advantage of a corner kick to set up Orlando Fertleman, who beat sophomore goalkeeper Cole Hanson (Urbandale, Iowa) on a long shot to the top right corner. 

Rinaldo broke the tie in minute 25 with his first collegiate goal after being fed the ball by O'Connor and sophomore midfielder Carter Gellner (Chaska, Minn./Chanhassen). Torguson moved the team up the field after regaining possession, sending a long pass to O'Connor. The sophomore forward maneuvered around a Yellowjacket defender and sent a high pass in across the box which was headed by Gellner and then once more by Rinaldo to take the lead, 2-1. 

O'Connor scored his 13th goal of the season three minutes later, gathering a pass from Ryan for a make-shift breakaway. O'Connor sent the ball into the low right corner for the 3-1 SJU lead that held until the half. 

Rinaldo ignited a flurry of goals after the break, scoring at the 61:46 mark thanks to a cross through the box from defender Foster Conlin '26. The next eight minutes brought two more goals for the Johnnies, one on a well-placed pass to Gellner and the other an O'Connor finish off a pair of quick passes from Rinaldo and defender Caden Ligman '26.

UWS scored on a penalty kick – the second against SJU in as many games – to cut the lead to 6-2, but forward Connor Drong '26 intercepted a Yellowjacket pass five minutes later and booted it to Drew Ripp for his first collegiate goal and the 7-2 final.

Hanson made five saves in 76 minutes of work between the pipes, while sophomore keeper Austin Ertel (Brownsburg, Ind./Lawrence Central) allowed the PK goal and made a save in the final 13 minutes of play.

Shots were nearly even between the two teams, 17-16 in favor of SJU, but 12 of the Johnnies' attempts were on target compared to six for the Yellowjackets. Superior earned nine corner kicks to the Johnnies' one.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 7-4-1 all-time against the Yellowjackets on the soccer pitch, including a 2-0-1 record in Superior, Wis.: T, 1-1 (Oct. 10, 2010); W, 2-1 (Oct. 4, 2015); and 4-3 (Oct. 11, 2017).