Late-Game Goal Gives St. John's 1-0 BIG EAST Victory Over Seton Hall Red Storm starts off final

QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's soccer team started the weekend off on the right foot with a 1-0, BIG EAST victory over regional-rival Seton Hall on Friday night. The game-winner was scored in the 78th minute off a St. John's corner kick.

With the victory, the Red Storm tallied its sixth win of the season and second at home as St. John's advances to 6-8-1 overall and 3-5 in the BIG EAST. Seton Hall fell to 6-9, 2-6 BIG EAST. St. John's goal was scored off a corner kick with just over ten minutes left in regulation. Rookie Morgan Ritter took the corner and crossed it toward the goal. With a scramble in front of the net as the rain picked up at Belson Stadium both rookie Kerry Cummings and junior Jen Leaverton went up for the header. Both girls got a piece of the ball as it went toward the net. En route to back of the goal, the ball hit the cross bar and bounced just inside the goal line for the eventual game-winner.

With the minutes ticking off the board, Seton Hall had three more shots to try to send the game into overtime. The first shot, off the foot of Nicki Gross, was saved by Red Storm junior goalkeeper Kristin Russell (5-8-1). Gross's second shot went wide and the Pirates' had just one more shot in the 88th minute that was blocked by the St. John's defense.

With no defense in the back field, rookie Amy Marron finished the game with a last-second shot off a fast break that went just wide of Seton Hall's goal.

Scoreless through 77 minutes, Leaverton had two of the first attempts at a score 15 minutes in. On the first cross, Leaverton's try to center it went wide, and her second was blocked by the defense despite a move with the ball over a Pirate player. In the 34th minute, Leaverton had a left-footed shot off the post, followed by a rebounded attempt by seniorRaelynne Lee that went high.

Seton Hall outshot St. John's 10-8, but the play by the defense and Russell kept the Pirates off the scoreboard. At the end of the first period, Seton Hall had a chance off a corner kick. The header by Stephanie Soma was just high, Russell went up for the save but took her hands down as she realized it was going high.

Up next, St. John's will host Rutgers on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at Belson Stadium. The Rutgers game is the designated Score For A Cure Day, where fans can sign up to donate to Breast Cancer Awareness. It is also designated as senior day, where the Red Storm will honor its four seniors: Anna Torregiano, Raelynne Lee, Nicole Canning and Nicole Pasciolla.