QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John’s University men are on the rise.

After recording a 5-1 victory over Columbia University, 5-1, to move to 6-0-0 for the first time in program history, the Red Storm moved into the ninth position of the United Soccer Coaches Division I poll.

The Johnnies entered the top 10 for the first time in exactly six years, last doing so when the Johnnies sat at No. 7 Sept. 17, 2013.

The Red Storm enjoys its six-game winning streak to start a season. The 1995 team, which won the last of four consecutive Big East titles, held the program high-water mark with a 5-0-0 start.

St. John’s has turned in a number of lengthy unbeaten streaks to start seasons in the past, rattling off a streak of eight games or more eight different times since 1992. In 1993, the Johnnies did not suffer a loss until the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament, snapping a streak of 21 consecutive unbeaten results.

The Red Storm’s five-goal outburst at Columbia marked the most prolific offensive outing for the Johnnies since defeating Seton Hall, 5-0, in the final game of the 2013 regular season. All five of St. John’s goals came in the second half, marking the first time the Storm scored five or more goals in a half since Sept. 29, 2001, against Villanova University.

St. John’s, one of 12 teams in the nation that has yet to suffer a loss or a tie, will welcome another ranked foe on Friday night when No. 19 Xavier comes to Belson for both teams’ Big East opener. The Musketeers will mark the first of two straight ranked opponents for the Johnnies, as the team will travel to No. 25 Maryland, the defending national champion, Monday night.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.