After playing a one-win Yale team to a 1-1 tie through 90 minutes, the St. John’s men’s soccer team pulled out a 2-1 road victory in the first minute of extra time last night at Reese Stadium in New Haven, CT.
The golden goal was an own goal scored just 54 seconds into overtime.
Freshman midfielder Jimmy Mulligan put a shot on target just 24 seconds into the period, and then took a corner kick 22 seconds later. His kick bounced off a Yale defender and in for the golden goal that ended the game.
After the teams traded chances for the second half’s final fifteen minutes, the game went into extra time. It was the first extra period played by the Johnnies this season and the fourth time Yale had gone past 90 minutes.
After junior midfielder Pablo Punyed’s goal tied the score at 1-1 early in the second half, St. John’s kept up the pressure. Punyed followed his goal with another shot on target in the 66th minute, forcing Thalman to make a save.
The Red Storm came agonizingly close to going ahead in the 74th minute, when Mulligan hit the crossbar from 15 yards out.
Yale struck first in the 37th minute, when junior midfielder Andy Hackbarth buried a penalty shot that put the Red Storm in an early hole for the second straight game.
The goal seemed to light a fire under the Johnnies, who controlled play for the rest of the game.
“I think we started playing better after they scored,” said head coach David Masur.
The Johnnies’ best chance in the first half was in the 24th minute, when senior defender Sverre Wegge Gundhus had a chance in front of the net, but his left-footed shot from twelve yards out hit the post.
Wegge Gundhus would redeem himself in the second half. In the 65th minute, he found Punyed on a corner kick, who put a long-distance shot past Thalman for his fourth goal of the season. The equalizer tied him with Terra for the team lead in goals scored.
“Adam Himeno made a great first-post run. It was played in for [forward Walter] Hines. It was deflected in right off the six [yard] box. It was a well-driven cross by Jimmy Mulligan.”
It was the first true road win for St. John’s in three tries this season. They had lost previously at Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. Masur will take the wins anywhere he can get them.
“Every win is a big win,” said Masur “We showed some character coming back tonight.”
St. John’s moves to 6-2 on the season with the win. They continue their road trip on Saturday when they travel to Kentucky to face Big East foe Louisville.
