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Saint Joseph's University

Saint Joseph's Hawks
Saint Joseph's Hawks
MSOC Huddle
Ryan Samson/Sideline Photos, LLC
3
Saint Louis SLU (8-4-4 (4-1-3 A-10))
3
Saint Joseph's SJU (4-11-2 (2-4-2 A-10))
Saint Louis SLU
(8-4-4 (4-1-3 A-10))
3
Final
3
Saint Joseph's SJU
(4-11-2 (2-4-2 A-10))
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Saint Louis SLU 0 3 3
Saint Joseph's SJU 2 1 3

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Hawks, Billikens Battle in 3-3 Thriller in Regular Season Finale

PHILADELPHIA – With both sides needing a win on the final day season, the Saint Joseph's men's soccer team and Saint Louis settled for a draw in a 3-3 thriller on Saturday evening at Sweeney Field.
 
Saint Louis battled back from two different deficits to share the spoils, effectively knocking the Hawks out of postseason contention. The draw also took the Billikens out of contention for the regular season title, VCU taking the crown on the final day of the season.
 
St. Joe's closes out the year at 4-11-2 (2-4-2 Atlantic 10), Saint Louis finishing 8-4-4 (4-1-3 Atlantic 10) heading into postseason play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The visitors nearly got off to a sweet start, testing St. Joe's goalkeeper Trevor Jackson in the opening two minutes. The Hawk shot stopper was again called into action, once again standing tall to keep the Bilikens out of the net.
  • Half chances continued to exist for both teams as the game opened up, the Hawks able to capitalize on 21 minutes. Truls Brændvang sent a long-range pass down the right side of the pitch for Luke Johnson to run onto. The sophomore picked out Blake Driehuis, the Kiwi making no mistake as he was able to poke it past the Saint Louis keeper on the slide to give the Hawks an opening lead.
  • Half chances continued to arise for the Hawks, the closest in the opening 40 minutes coming through a Hartmann header that looped harmlessly wide.
  • The Hawks doubled the lead nearing the halftime whistle, as an incisive move from Bart Kooistra forced a Billiken defender into a tough challenge that resulted in a penalty awarded to the hosts. Matias Mancini stepped up to take it, the Italian needing two bites at the cherry as his initial shot was saved. The rebound fell kindly to Mancini, who cleanly side-footed the effort into the upper half of the netting as the Hawks took a 2-0 lead into the break.
  • The cushion was short lived, the Billikens registering their first goal of the game through a powerful header from Diego Konincks in the 50th.
  • The pressure built for the hosts, Saint Louis able to capitalize on the waves of attacks as the visitors leveled through Matthew Wrobel. The SLU attacker was first to a save from Jackson that deflected off a post and punched it in the back of the net to level the game.
  • Despite the momentum shift, the Hawks kept fighting as they were able to find what surely was thought to be the game-winner. A slick move from Brændvang at the touchline helped him skate by his defenders before slotting a pass across the face of the goal. Alex Hood met it with his right foot, curling his effort low and to the far post as St. Joe's retook the lead with under 10 minutes remaining.
  • The Billikens threw everything they could at the attack over the final 10 minutes, before the pressure paid dividends in the 89th minute. A fired cross was again dealt with by Jackson, but the ball fell into the path of Tanner Anderson who was able to sneak the shot past a host of Hawks.
  • Saint Louis almost grabbed the winner as a breakaway for the hosts was snuffed out by Jackson, who came well off his line to deny a one-on-one effort. The ball fell into the path of Seth Anderson, who turned his effort on frame. With no goalkeeper in the net, Kenyatta Collins proved vital in the intervention to clear the attempt off the line.
  • The bedlam came to a close as both teams settled for the 3-3 draw, bodies dropping onto the turf at full time.
 
QUICK NOTES
  • Driehuis scored his team-best eighth goal in the draw, finishing with two more goals than his previous two seasons combined.
  • Brændvang finished with two assists to put his season tally up to six, twice as many as the next Hawk.
  • Hood scored his second goal of the season, while Mancini tallied his first goal since November 7, 2021.
  • Luke Johnson also tallied his first assist on the season.
  • Jackson posted a season-high six saves on the evening.
  • The Hawks were outshot 17-9, a 10-5 disparity in shots on goal. The Billikens also held a 6-2 advantage in corners.
  • St. Joe's tied for the most goals scored against the Billikens on the season, only Loyola Chicago also tallying three goals against Saint Louis.
  • The draw knocked the Hawks out of contention for the A-10 Tournament, needing a win and a Dayton loss heading into the final day.
  • St. Joe's nearly tallied the first win over the Billikens in program history, now 0-11-2 all-time against Saint Louis. Both draws came with 3-3 scorelines.
 
 
 
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