Dave Masur’s (right) Red Storm is 12-1 heading into Wednesday’s big home game vs. Georgetown University. (Photo courtesy of St. John’s SID)
The St. John’s University men might be No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Division I poll, but they are atop the rankings in another category.
The Red Storm was No. 1 in the latest RPI, which was released Monday morning.
The Johnnies (12-1-0, 5-0-0) sit at No. 1 while Georgetown, Virginia, Wake Forest and UCF, respectively, round out the top five. St. John’s and the second-ranked Hoyas are set to square off in a Big East game in Queens, N.Y. Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Big East placed all of its teams inside the top 75 of this week’s RPI.
The Red Storm recorded its fifth consecutive shutout with a 2-0 win at Creighton University, improving its scoring margin in Big East games to 14-1. Those 14 goals are unanswered since the Johnnies fell behind to Xavier in the 12th minute of their Sept. 20 league opener. Including non-conference matches, St. John’s has found the back of the net 30 times while allowing opponents to score five times.
When the Johnnies take the field on Wednesday, it will be exactly one month since they last allowed a goal, dropping its lone decision of the season to defending champion Maryland, 1-0, in extratime in College Park, Md. Sept. 23.
The Red Storm’s 12-1-0 start is the best by a St. John’s squad since 1993, when the Johnnies won 13 of their 14 opening decisions in the midst of a 21-game unbeaten streak. The Red Storm has won each of its first five league matches for the first time since the College Cup campaign of 2003. The only St. John’s squad to start a Big East season with six or more consecutive victories was the 1992 team, which went 8-0-0 during conference play in Dr. Dave Masur’s second season at the helm of the program.
Wednesday’s game will be available on the Big East Digital Network with Drew Casey, John Fanta and Meghan Caffrey on the call. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free St. John’s Soccer scarf courtesy of Main Street Radiology.
