Box Score PHILADELPHIA – A performance to remember from Bart Kooistra helped lift the Saint Joseph's men's soccer team past Temple on Tuesday evening, two goals and an assist from the Dutch forward giving the Hawks a 3-1 victory at the Temple Sports Complex.
 
Saint Joseph's tallies the first win of the season, moving to 1-3 on the year. Temple falls to 0-1-2 with its first loss of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hawks looked the most dangerous over the first quarter of an hour, spending most of the early stages with possession. A couple of chances by Truls Brændvang and Blake Driehuis were spurned as Temple's goalkeeper matched the effort to remain scoreless.
• After a foul near the Hawk 18-yard box, the Owls were gifted their best attempt in the early stages with a dangerous free kick, the ensuing attempt wasted as the shot went harmlessly wide of the goal.
• Moments later, Lars Haavie made his first save of the evening by catching cleanly a curled attempt from his left as both teams searched for the opener.
• In the 28^th minute, Bart Kooistra was denied by an onrushing keeper of the opener, who was able to clean up before a sprinting James Fletcher was able to poke the rebound into the back of the net.
• Kooistra wouldn't be denied, as the Dutch forward latched onto a well-placed through ball by Luke Johnson. Kooistra pushed the ball out with pace, cutting back to his favored right foot and past the fallen defender before curling the attempt to the side of the net to help the Hawks take the lead on 34 minutes.
• Just five minutes later, the Hawks nearly doubled their lead through Matias Mancini's return to the Hawk lineup. Played through brilliantly with a volley from Philipp Wujewitsch, Mancini tried to fire low and past the keeper but was denied as Flannan Riley made his fourth save of the first half. St. Joe's would enter the halftime with the slim margin to hold onto.
• Brændvang nearly doubled the lead for St. Joe's just moments into the second half as good interchange of play saw the junior free at the top of the box. His effort was unable to pass the Owl goalkeeper as the Hawks remained 1-0 up.
• Only moments later, Blake Driehuis was played through beautifully as once again the Hawks spurned an early chance. The junior had just the keeper to beat, doing so but the ball marginally missing the post as it trailed harmlessly wide.
• Driehuis wouldn't miss twice, the Kiwi played into goal by Kooistra before firing into the net as the bench sprinted down to the near corner celebrating as the Hawks took the 2-0 lead.
• Before the celebrations could even finish, the Hawks nabbed a third as once again Kooistra inserted himself into the middle of the action. Feigning a pass to his right, Kooistra ball rolled to create separation before making the keeper guess the wrong was as he slotted home his brace, St. Joe's taking a 3-0 lead on 58 minutes.
• Temple would find an answer two minutes later despite a terrific diving save from Haavie to keep the Owls off the scoreboard. Ensuing corner saw a Temple man unmarked, making no mistake as he nodded into the back of the net to get one back for the hosts.
• Daniel Zivkovic almost scored his first goal of the night in the 76^th, as great exchange down the right hand side allowed the forward to lash a shot off. Again, Riley made a clean save to deny the Hawks with his fifth save of the night.
• The Hawks were able to sniff out the danger over the final 15 minutes, thwarting off any Temple attack as St. Joe's found the win column for the first time of the year against the city rivals with a 3-1 victory.

 
QUICK NOTES

• The opening goal for the Hawks broke a 304 minute drought to start the season, Kooistra opening his account as well in just his second match for the Crimson and Gray.
• The Hawks have won three of the last four matchups against the Owls, the first meeting between the two since a 3-1 victory on Sweeney Field in 2017. The three goals ties the most goals scored by a team in the series since 2004, joining the 2017 squad that also knocked three in on the day.
• Kooistra played part in all three goals, adding an assist to his two goals on the night. The brace was the first since the 2020-21 spring season, Nemo Philipp bagging a brace in a 2-1 win over UMBC. The five points by Kooistra is tied for most since 2018, Ritchie Barry also scoring twice with an assist against George Mason in a 4-3 defeat.
• Driehuis scored for the seventh time in his career for SJU.
• Haavie made four saves on the night in the first win of the season.

 
UP NEXT

• The Hawks make the trip to West Point to take on Army on Friday evening, taking the momentum into the contest with the Black Knights. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.