Fresh off the program’s first appearance in the round of 16 of the NCAA tournament, St. John’s University head coach Ian Stone has announced the 2022 schedule.

The Red Storm will face five teams that reached the Division I tournament during their 2021 campaigns, including four squads from the Big East. The fall slate will consist of 18 matches, nine of which will take place at Belson Stadium.

The season will officially kick-off on Aug. 18 when the Johnnies welcome Saint Joseph’s for a 7 p.m. match in Queens. St. John’s has won the last four meetings against the Hawks. The team heads to Newark, N.J., following the contest, and will battle NJIT on Aug. 21. The Red Storm took down the Highlanders, 3-0, in the first-ever meeting between the teams last season.

St. John’s will return home to host Sacred Heart on Aug. 25. The Johnnies are undefeated against the Pioneers, boasting a 4-0 record during the program’s 34-year history. Columbia will await a visit from the Red Storm on Aug. 28, as the Johnnies will travel to Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium to face the Lions. Last season, the matchup between the squads ended in a 3-3 draw.

The Red Storm will host back-to-back matches against Navy on Sept. 2 and Central Connecticut State on Sept. 5. Navy comes to Queens following an 11-6-3 year while CCSU reached the NCAA Tournament in 2021 after winning the NEC Championship.

Following the homestand, the Johnnies will hit the road for three-straight matches, beginning at Lehigh on Sept. 11. Six days later, the Red Storm will travel to Cornell on Sept. 17 for the final non-conference match of the season.

St. John’s will begin Big East play in the nation’s capital as the team will battle reigning champion Georgetown on Sept. 22. The last meeting between the two teams took place in the conference championship when the Hoyas edged St. John’s, 1-0, to take the tournament title.

The Red Storm will continue league play with home contests against Connecticut on Sept. 25 and Seton Hall on Sept. 29. St. John’s will travel to Villanova on Oct. 2.

The Johnnies will welcome Creighton back to Belson Stadium on Oct. 6 before they will the road again for back-to-back matches against a pair of 2021 NCAA Tournament teams. The Red Storm will battle Providence on Oct. 9 and Butler on Oct. 13.

The Red Storm hosts Xavier on Oct. 16 for a BIG EAST semifinal rematch. The Johnnies came away with the 1-0 victory over the then-ranked no. 11 Musketeers on their home field. Marquette will come to town for the final home match of the season on Oct. 23. St. John’s only victory over the Golden Eagles came at Belson Stadium in 2015. The regular-season finale for the Johnnies will take place in Chicago as the Red Storm battles DePaul on Oct. 27.

The Red Storm return a stellar backline that includes veterans Katherine Turner, Nicole Multerand and Brooke Boyd, who each posted over 1,400 minutes last season. The St. John’s defense recorded 11 shutouts during the 2021 campaign, allowing just 27 goals in 23 contests. Offensively, Isabelle Aviza and Ava Collins return as the top goal scorers for the Johnnies, as the duo tallied four goals apiece in 2021.

The 2022 season will mark the 29th season under Stone. Under his direction, the team has made four NCAA Tournament appearances and had two players drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

This past winter, Zsani Kajan heard her name called during the NWSL draft as the forward was selected eighth overall by the OL Reign. Kajan finished second on the St. John’s career lists in both goals (45) and points (101), trailing only Rachel Daly’s career totals of 50 and 111, respectively, set between 2013-15.

 

FrontRowSoccer.com editor Michael Lewis has written a new book, ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. You can learn more about it or purchase it here:

www.Rochesterlancersbook.com

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.