QUEENS, N.Y. – Looking to rebound after a 1-0 loss at Butler University, the St. John’s University women hosts Seton Hall University at Belson Stadium Saturday at 8 p.m.
The game will follow the St. John’s men’s match with Marquette University.
Saturday’s match with the Pirates will serve as the Red Storm’s second-to-last home game of the regular season. The Johnnies have split each of their first six games at Belson Stadium, highlighted by a dramatic 1-0, extratime victory over Creighton Sept. 28.
Junior Christina Bellero continues to lead the St. John’s attack and has remained among the Big East’s top 10 offensive performers this season. The Melville, N.Y. native’s five goals rank fifth in the league, while her 13 points are sixth.
Defensively, redshirt freshman Jordan Kamp continues to be a solid contributor between the pipes. Kamp’s 1.15 goals-against average and .760 save percentage in 10 games this season rank seventh in the conference.
Saturday will also be Alumni Day for the St. John’s soccer programs.
At halftime of the women’s game, head coach Ian Stone and the St. John’s athletic department will honor the 2013 women’s soccer team that earned a trip to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the second time in program history and picked up the school’s first win in the tournament.
Diana Poulin, a 2017 graduate who finished her career as the program’s all-time winningest goalkeeper, also will be honored. The three-time Big East goalkeeper of the year and two-time NSCAA Scholar All-American will be at Belson Stadium for the first time since she helped St. John’s defeat Providence College in the first round of last season’s Big East women’s soccer championship as she set the program’s season record with her 12th shutout on the season.
Seton Hall enters play on Saturday with a record of 0-8-5 and a 0-2-3 ledger in Big East matchups. The Pirates are coming off a dramatic 1-1 draw with Creighton in their last outing after junior Julia Stirpe converted a penalty kick in the 87th minute.
Stirpe is Seton Hall’s leading scorer with two goals and an assist for five points. Cassy Harrigan has also found the back of the net twice, while Lauren Hall, Siobhan McGovern and Atley Fortney have each scored a goal. The Pirates have struggled defensively, allowing 23 goals on the year, which are the second-most in the conference.
The game will be the 22nd all-time meeting between the two schools.The Red Storm owns a commanding 16-5-1 record in the series history. After going 1-4-1 in the first six meetings, St. John’s has claimed victory in 15 of the last 16 meetings.
After the match, the Johnnies are back in action as they travel to Villanova, Pa., to take Villanova University Thursday, Oct. 19 at 4 p.m.
