Box Score
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – A lightning delay failed to slow down the Saint John's soccer team in an 8-0 win over Coe (Iowa) on Sunday, Sept. 6, at Haws Field.
The Johnnies (4-0-0 overall) tallied three goals in the first half and made it to halftime before the weather delay sidelined both teams for 50 minutes. SJU responded with a five-goal onslaught over the game's final 45 minutes, 35:38 of which the Kohawks (1-2-0 overall) played down a man due to a red card.
SJU dominated the pace of play, out-shooting Coe 26-0 (17-0 on goal) with a 17-0 advantage in corner kicks. Through their first four games, the Johnnies have a goal differential of 22-0, a shot differential of 100-11 (56-8) and have allowed just one corner kick compared to 49 for SJU.
Junior forward
Ronan O'Connor (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, his second tally of the season, 3:25 into the game. Sophomore forward
Eli Ryan (Victoria, Minn./Minnetonka) was deep in Johnnie territory and played a long ball to the foot of O'Connor, who beat three defenders and the keeper in the bottom-left corner.
Sophomore midfielder
Taylor Petrich (Woodbury, Minn./Hill-Murray) doubled the lead off a free kick in the 21st minute. A bit of deception from freshman forward
Ethan Brown (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) made the Coe contingent flinch and helped Petrich curve the ball around six players and into the same corner O'Connor found to start the game.
Freshman midfielder
Laird Holden (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina) scored his second of the weekend and his career in the 37th minute. Holden recovered the ball off a Coe turnover above the box and dribbled one past Shaw for a 3-0 advantage at the half.
Freshman defender
Billy Cornett (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) redeemed a header that was called off at Haws Field earlier in the week with another off a direct corner kick from freshman forward
Grady Monette (Andover, Minn.) to spark the Johnnies after the extended lightning delay in the 53rd minute.
Just 2:03 later, a double yellow awarded sophomore midfielder
James Torguson (Shakopee, Minn.) a penalty kick. He, too, found the bottom left corner of the net, this time on Coe's second of three keepers that made it into the game.
SJU scored its third goal in six minutes as Cornett and Ryan moved the ball systematically up the left side of the field before feeding sophomore forward
Axel Martin (Lakeville, Minn./Rosemount) for a pretty one-timer in the 57th minute.
Martin added another 6:32 later when a Kohawk defender's header inadvertently set him up after an
Ike Deuel (Maple Grove, Minn.) free kick.
Junior midfielder
Thomas Theising (Minneapolis, Minn./Wayzata) ended the game's scoring with 5:55 remaining. Theising one-touched a header from junior forward
Micah O'Leary (Phoenix, Ariz./Casa Grande) into the goal thanks to a cross from freshman forward
Soren Benson (Brainerd, Minn./Lake Region Christian).
Sophomore goalkeeper
Alex Keekley (St. Louis Park, Minn./Minnetonka) picked up his third shutout in three starts with the win.
SJU travels to face Bethany Lutheran (1-2-1 overall) for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in Mankato.
