Published: November 05, 2006
PISCATAWAY, N.J.
With four seconds remaining in overtime, freshman Adam Himeno
found the back of the net to lift the No. 25 Red Storm to a 1-0
victory over No. 2 West Virginia and the program's seventh BIG EAST
Tournament title. Freshman Ryan
Soroka, who assisted on Himeno's game-winner, was named the
tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player, and senior Billy Hole
earned Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors.
The Red Storm did not allow a goal in the tournament and
defeated three consecutive ranked teams to win the postseason
title. Goalkeeper Jason
Landers made 15 saves and posted four shutouts in 370
postseason minutes, while Soroka netted three game-winning goals
and assisted on Himeno's game-winner against WVU.
Himeno calmly finished a cross by Soroka with 4.4 seconds
showing on the game clock and touched it into the empty net.
Sophomore Jara Habib
got his foot on Soroka's cross from the end line and deflected it
to Himeno, who gathered and scored for the second time in as many
games.
Under head coach Dr. Dave
Masur, the St. John's program has won a combined 12 BIG EAST
regular season and tournament crowns. The 16th-year head coach, who
ranks as the third-winningest active coach in NCAA Division I
soccer, has assured the program's unprecedented 15th straight NCAA
Tournament berth by locking up the BIG EAST Conference's automatic
bid.
Masur and the Red Storm have also captured the most BIG EAST
Tournament crowns (seven) in the conference's 25-year history. The
last tournament crown for St. John's came in the 2001 season, and
no current Red Storm players had previously won a tournament
title.
The early portion of the game was played in the midfield, with
both teams trying to gain possession and send long balls into their
offensive zones. West Virginia attempted four shots in the first 23
minutes, but only a long, deflected shot by Ryan Gillespie in the
third minute required any action by Landers.
Landers secured another long-range attempt off a free kick in
the 33rd minute by Chris Witting. For the period, the Mountaineers
outshot the Red Storm, 5-1, while both teams had one corner kick.
Soroka was active in the WVU half of the field, and Tadeu Terra
sent several dangerous balls over the Mountaineer defense and
through the goal box.
Michael Luk put the Red Storm's first shot on goal four minutes
into the second half, finding space and sending a long shot from 35
yards. Soroka got a good look at the goal minutes later, running
onto a long ball from Jeff
Stepan, absorbing contact and getting a shot off with his left
foot that sailed wide of the target.
St. John's continued to pressure the WVU backline and earned two
corners in the first 20 minutes of the second period. Soroka nearly
broke the scoreless tie in the 79th minute, running on to a precise
long pass from Himeno and one-touching a shot that was scooped up
by goalkeeper Nick Noble.
Minutes Later, Himeno got the cleanest look at the goal of the
period, touching a pass from Terra away from pressure and sending a
sliding left-footed shot high of the goal. The Mountaineers
countered with their best chance of the match, but the Red Storm
defense knocked down an eight-yard shot by Andy Wright off a loose
ball in the box.
The physically played second half ended scoreless with both
teams attempting five shots and the Red Storm holding a 2-0
advantage in corners.
Both teams traded close calls midway through the overtime
session. Junior Jeff Stepan sent a high header on goal that Noble
grabbed in the air but lost control when his hands hit the crossbar
on the way down. He secured the rebound before a charging Jara
Habib could jump on it and finish. On the counter, West Virginia
forward Andy Wright's fourth shot attempt got under Landers, but
struck off the crossbar and into the junior goalkeeper's arms.
Both teams had chances and attempted two shots in the overtime
period, but it was Himeno's score with the final seconds ticking
off the clock that was the difference in the match.
St. John's now awaits its NCAA Tournament fate when the 2006
tournament selection show airs on ESPNews on Monday between 4 p.m.
and 5 p.m.