WEST POINT, N.Y. – For the second game in a row, Blake Driehuis found the game winner as the junior forward powered the Saint Joseph's men's soccer team to a 3-2 win over Army West Point on Friday afternoon behind the program's first hat trick since 2017.
 
With back-to-back wins, the Hawks move to 2-3 on the season while Army West Point drops to 1-3 on the year.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both sides grew into the game over the course of the opening 15 minutes after neither side were able to create a clear cut opportunity on frame. The Hawks' best opportunity came from Bart Kooistra, who chopped the ball onto his favored foot before laying off to Luke Johnson, the sophomore's shot blocked by a sliding Black Knight.
• Army West Point was gifted a penalty in the 16^th minute after a rash challenge inside the SJU box gave the hosts a chance to open the scoring. Trevor Jackson provided the heroics, feinting to his right before diving left to deny the penalty as the follow up was blazed over the crossbar.
• Only moments later, Army would be rewarded for the pressure as a potent attack down the right-hand side of the pitch saw a cross fizzed into the box. With a Black Knight waiting at the back post, Philipp Wujewitsch stretched at full length to deny the tap in but the deflection rolled across the line as Army West Point took a 1-0 lead.
• The Hawks would respond in the 32^nd minute after a delightful spell of possession from the visitors. Alex Hartmann curled a pass into Philipp Wujewitsch on the right touchline, who turned up field and found Truls Brændvang making a darting run. The junior fired a low cross across the face of the goal, Blake Driehuis cleaning up by firing into the roof of the net to grab an equalizer.
• Celebrations were short lived, as only a minute later the Black Knights were able to conjure up another chance, capitalizing with a driven shot past an oncoming Jackson to re-establish a lead.
• After the final 12 minutes of the first half went uneventful, it was Army that looked for the first strike in the second half, Jackson forced into a save in the 53^rd minute.
• As the game continued on, the Hawks looked more and more dangerous on the attack. The introduction of Alex Hood in the 75^th minute played pivotal, as the super senior flicked on a John Axtman cross, looping over the head of the Black Knight defense. Driehuis ran onto it and flicked an effort over the oncoming goalkeeper, the ball rolling over the line before a tackle could be made as the Hawks leveled the game for the second time through the junior forward.
• With all the momentum in favor of the visitors, an attack down the right side saw a ball played in to the box, where Driehuis was toppled over after beating his defender to the ball. The ref pointed to the penalty spot, and Driehuis calmly slotted the penalty past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for his hat trick as the Hawks turned the scoreline on its head.
• The Hawk defense flung into tackles over the final 10 minutes, providing crucial blocks in the defensive third to hang onto their second road win in as many games, clawing all the way back for a 3-2 victory over Army West Point.

 
QUICK NOTES

• Blake Driehuis has now scored four goals in the last three games, including two game-winners for the Hawks. He has moved his career tally to 10 goals, already matching his highest goal return on a season.
• The hat trick by Driehuis was the first since Matt Crawford's three-goal burst in a 3-1 win over Temple in the 2017 season opener.
• St. Joe's has now won back-to-back road games after starting 0-3 at home, scoring six goals in two games after being held out of the net for the first 304 minutes of the season.
• SJU has now evened the all-time series with Army West Point, knotting it up at 2-2 overall. 

UP NEXT

• The Hawks return to Hawk Hill on Tuesday, September 12 to take on Delaware in a 7 p.m. matchup on Sweeney Field.