QUEENS, N.Y. – Freshman Tani Oluwaseyi recorded his second goal in as many games, scoring 73 seconds into the first extratime period to the St. John’s University men to a 2-1 win over Fairfield University at Belson Stadium Friday night.
After outshooting the Stags (0-2) by an 18-5 margin in regulation, the Johnnies (2-1) needed just one shot in extra time to seal the win.
Mauricio Rivas began the sequence, playing a ball to Brandon Knapp outside the box on the right side. The freshman crossed it back in front of the net, narrowly missing the foot of a sliding Rivas. Oluwaseyi, however, was waiting patiently on the back post, as the rookie from Mississauga, Ont., buried it home.
Oluwaseyi also played a part in the team’s first goal, as he and Skage Simonsen assisted on Matt Forster’s tally in the 38th minute. The goal was Forster’s third of the season as the junior midfielder matched his combined goal total from all of 2016 and 2017 in the third game. Oluwaseyi and Simonsen recorded assists for the second consecutive outing.
“It was great to get the result in the end,” said head cach Dr. Dave Masur after his 403rd career victory against the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions. “Everybody chipped in. We used some people off the bench. It’s still a bit of learning curve for us, but I was really happy to see how hard we competed and how well we played.”
With six points apiece on the season, Forster and Oluwaseyi are the first St. John’s players to record six points or more in the opening three games of a season since Pablo Punyed and Tadeu Terra accomplished the feat in 2010.
Senior goalkeeper Lenny Wilson earned his first win between the pipes for St. John’s, making one save.
St. John’s dominated possession from the early going, outshooting the Stags by an 11-0 margin in the first half. Forster recorded the first great chance of the contest in the ninth minute, blasting a loose ball from near the penalty spot that was turned away by Fairfield keeper Gordon Botterill for the first of his four saves in the half.
Fairfield knotted the game at 1-1 on a Joseph Meyer goal in the 51st minute.
St. John’s hosts Lehigh University at Belson Stadium on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
