Women's Soccer Looks To Continue Winning Streak

QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's soccer team will look to continue its perfect mark on the season when it travels to New Haven, Conn., to face Yale on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. The Red Storm is off to a 3-0 start on the season and is coming off winning the Blue Hen tournament title on Aug. 31.

• There will be live stats for the Bulldogs-Red Storm game that can be accessed on YaleBulldogs.com.

• The series between Yale and St. John's is tied, 1-1, with each team winning a game on the road. The Red Storm won the inaugural contest, 2-0, at Yale on Nov. 13, 1999, but the Bulldogs came away with the last win, 1-0, in overtime on Sept. 6, 2005, at Belson Stadium.

A Look At The Competition • Yale is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 19 UConn on Friday in Storrs, Conn. The game was the team's season opener. The Bulldogs return a number of key players from last year's team that won 11 games and narrowly missed receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA College Cup. The Bulldogs, ranked fourth in the Northeast by the NSCAA and second by Soccer Buzz, have a mix of talent and depth. Seniors Emma Whitfield and Maggie Westfal lead the offense, while seniors Natalia Mann and Hayley Zevenbergen anchor an experienced defense that yielded only 18 goals last year.

Red Storm-Delaware Recap • The St. John's women's soccer team continued its perfect start to the season with a 1-0 win over Delaware in the final game of the Blue Hen Classic on Aug. 31. The Red Storm concluded the tournament with a perfect 2-0 slate en route to the Blue Hen Classic title.

• Junior Amanda Santos scored the winner for St. John's in the 34th minute. The ball was cleared to junior Sarah McGrath, and she crossed it to the far post. Junior Tatiana Duggan headed the ball to Santos, who kicked it to the bottom corner of the goal from 10 yards out. The goal was the second of the season for Santos and the fourth of her career. Both McGrath and Duggan were each credited with an assist, which marked the second of McGrath's career and the first for Duggan.

• Despite the score being 1-0, the game featured strong offensive performances from each team. They combined for 23 shots in the contest, with the Blue Hens edging the Red Storm, 12-11. Five St. John's players recorded shots in the game, with Santos leading the way with four and Duggan coming in second with three. • Goalkeeper Kristin Russell was challenged throughout the game and had another solid performance for the Red Storm with a season-high five saves. The freshman has played every minute of all three St. John's games this season and has not allowed one goal.

St. John's Wins Tournament Title; Four Receive Honors • With a perfect 2-0 performance, St. John's won the Blue Hen Classic tournament title on Aug. 31. The Red Storm posted a pair of 1-0 wins over Towson and Delaware to win its first title of the year. Four St. John's players were named to the all-tournament team, as Tara Mendoza, Nicole Pasciolla, McGrath and Russell were honored for their efforts.

Russell Earns Two Weekly Honors • With her strong play in net, Russell earned two honors for her performances Aug. 29-31, as she was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week. The league honor is the second-straight for the freshman, while the TopDrawerSoccer.com honor is the first of her career.

• Russell posted consecutive shutouts over the weekend, helping lead the Red Storm to a perfect 2-0 slate and to the Blue Hen Classic tournament title. She started and played all 90 minutes of both contests and saved all seven shots she faced. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native opened the tournament making two saves in a 1-0 win over Towson, and had one of her best performances to date with a season-high five saves in a 1-0 win over Delaware.

It's All About The "D" • The Red Storm defense has been strong for the team this season, holding opponents scoreless through 270 minutes of play. The three shutouts to start the year marks the first time in history the Red Storm has held its opponent scoreless through its opening three contests. The unit has done an effective job of limiting opposing teams' shots, allowing only 18, and Russell has come up with eight saves on as many shots faced to keep the scoreless streak alive.

Red Storm Receiving Votes In Top 25 Poll • St. John's is receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas Top 25 poll that was released on Sept. 2. The Red Storm tied UC Santa Barbara with 27 votes in the poll and currently sits just five spots out of the top 25. St. John's is also ranked No. 3 in the Northeast region as released Sept. 2 by Soccer Buzz. The No. 3 ranking is the highest in history for the Red Storm.