By Dylan Butler
PISCATAWAY, N.J.— The rivalry between St. John’s and Rutgers, called by Scarlet Knights coach Bob Reasso “the best rivalry in college soccer,” saw a new twist Oct. 9, at Yurcak Field.
For the first time since the series began eight years ago, a game wasn’t in doubt late in the game and wasn’t decided by a single goal. St. John’s dominated host Rutgers in a 3-1 win in front of 1,660 fans.
The Red Storm pounced on Rutgers from the opening whistle as its high-octane, high-pressure style put a depleted Scarlet Knights, who were without six starters due to injury, in a 2-0 hole 26 minutes into the game.
“They don’t let you settle any ball, they press you better than any team in the country. They work at a frenetic pace,” Rutgers coach Bob Reasso said of St. John’s. “Whenever there’s any doubt about what to do with the ball, they always put it behind you.”
St. John’s (9-1-2, 5-1 Big East) jumped ahead, 1-0, in the 18th minute when Andre Schmid headed Rich Bradley’s cross off the crossbar and over the goal line from 10 yards out.
Eight minutes later Chris Corcoran flicked Chris Leidner’s throw-in toward the back post where Tim O’Neill’s header was stopped by Rutgers keeper Ricky Zinter. O’Neill followed up his own rebound and easily slotted the ball in the net to put the Red Storm in front, 2-0.
“It's Rutgers, it's a huge rivalry,” said Corcoran, who scored the Red Storm’s third goal in the 69th minute. “I knew from last year how tough it was going to be. Our preparation really helped us to come out of the gate and put them on their heels.”
After Rutgers (4-3-3, 3-2-1) got within one on a Red Storm own goal in the 52nd minute, St. John’s put the game away in the 69th minute on a brilliant buildup from Schmid to Bradley, who made a run down the right wing.
In stride, the senior midfielder sent a cross toward the far post where Corcoran stood unmarked. The sophomore midfielder’s low shot from 10 yards out easily beat Zinter for his team-leading fourth goal of the year.
“We got up 2-0, which is probably the biggest lead this series has ever had,” said St. John’s coach Dave Masur, an All-American defender at Rutgers in the early 1980s. “They got one back and it was nip and tuck, and the third goal was a real big goal for us. It was a great play, you couldn’t ask for a prettier goal.”
The commitments
Christ the King guard Leslie Dickinson, who averaged 7.4 points, three assists and three steals for the Royals last year, signed a letter of intent to play for James Madison next year. Dickinson, whose older brother Greg plays for the Queens College men’s basketball team, chose JMU over Hofstra and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Dickinson is the second member of the Royals backcourt to announce her college commitment. Starting point guard Amanda LoCascio, a 5-foot-8 point guard, chose George Washington over Xavier, Fairfield and Boston University.
Daon Merritt, a 5-foot-11 point guard at St. Raymond’s, announced last week his plans to attend the University of Richmond next fall. The Jamaica native joins his former coach Gary DeCesare, who left St. Ray’s to become an assistant coach under Jerry Wainwright a month ago.
Merritt, who averaged 13 points and seven steals for the Ravens last year, chose Richmond over Providence, DePaul, North Carolina State, Florida and Pittsburgh.
SJU football falls to Marist
The St. John’s football team was a muddy mess, but leading 22-13 in the fourth quarter in a steady rain at Marist College in Poughkeepsie Saturday, the Red Storm was on the verge of returning to Jamaica with an impressive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win, snapping a three-game losing streak to boot.
But Alfredo Riullano ran for a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally the Red Foxes to a 28-22 victory at Leonidoff Stadium.
Quarterback Matt Millheiser put the Red Storm on the board first, running a nine-yard draw in for a touchdown and then hit Alicio Metellus with a 40-yard pass for another first-quarter touchdown to give St. John's (1-4, 1-2) a 12-0 lead.
Marist quarterback Matt Bielen scored on a four-yard run, following a fumble by SJU punter Matt Magrone, but the Red Storm extended its lead to 15-7 on Tom Gavenonis’ 25-yard field goal.
Bielen hit Chris Price on a five-yard touchdown pass with three seconds left in the second quarter for Marist (5-1, 3-1), but St. John’s responded right away in the third quarter on a 63-yard touchdown pass from Millheiser to Matt May (five catches for 145 yards).
St. John’s heads to Duquesne (6-0, 3-0) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the final game of three straight road games.
Former Holy Cross soccer standouts enjoy big week
Goalkeeper Antonio Treglia, a junior at Manhattan College, registered a pair of shutouts to earn Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors. The former Holy Cross star made three saves in the Jaspers 2-0 win over Canisius and had a pair of stops in a scoreless tie with Niagara.
Shaun Higgins, a senior midfielder at Hofstra, scored the game-winner in the 76th minute for the Pride in a 4-3 win over rival Delaware, Sunday afternoon.
The Whitestone native, who also had a pair of assists, followed his own saved shot from 15 yards out and slotted the ball past a Delaware defender and into the open net to give No. 23 Hofstra (8-2-1) a weekend split. The Pride dropped a 2-1 decision to Towson Saturday.
Women’s Soccer
Queens College 3, New Haven 2. Former Bayside standout Hazel Alvarado netted a pair of goals and Ana Borges, out of Forest Hills, scored the game-winner with seven minutes left in the second overtime period for Queens (4-4) Saturday.
Monmouth 3, St. John’s 1. Lauren McGrory scored the lone goal for the Red Storm in the 10th minute Oct. 9 in West Branch, N.J. It was St. John’s (6-4-3) first non-conference loss of the year.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by email at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
