MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The St. John’s men’s soccer team saw its season end devastatingly Thursday night, falling 4-3 to West Virginia in overtime in the NCAA Tournament First Round at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
The Red Storm (9-6-4, 3-3-2 BIG EAST) led three separate times in a back-and-forth thriller, including a 3-2 advantage with under 10 minutes remaining in regulation. But Sun Belt Player of the Year Marcus Caldeira scored a hat trick—including the game-winner in the 94th minute—to send the Mountaineers (13-4-3, 7-2-0 Sun Belt) to the Second Round and heartbreakingly end St. John’s season.
Red Storm Jump Out to Fast Start
St. John’s exploded out of the gate in the second half, building a 2-0 lead in the opening six minutes.
Just 57 seconds into the second half, the Red Storm earned a corner kick on the right side. Julian Jakopovic delivered the service, and as players battled for possession in the box, the ball struck the hand of a West Virginia defender. After a video review, St. John’s was awarded a penalty kick.
Team captain Bjorn Nikolajewski stepped up and buried a strike into the upper-90, finding the top left corner to give the Red Storm a 1-0 lead. It was his fourth goal of the season and third from the penalty spot.
Less than five minutes later, St. John’s doubled the advantage. Ank Nibogora fed a leading pass into the box off a combination play, and Andrew Porucznik raced to the ball before chipping a high-arching cross to the back post. An unmarked Gabe Smyth finished with a tap-in header to make it 2-0 in the 51st minute.
The two goals came just 4:53 apart, and St. John’s appeared to be in control.
West Virginia Claws Back
The Mountaineers refused to go quietly.
Caldeira, who entered as a substitute, chopped into the lead in the 69th minute with his first of three goals, assisted by Isaac Scheer and Pablo Pozos.
Ten minutes later, West Virginia equalized when Nicolas Scargle finished off a corner kick from Ethan Dekel Daks in the 79th minute, erasing the Red Storm’s two-goal cushion.
Gomes Responds, But Caldeira Answers Again
St. John’s showed resilience, responding almost immediately.
Just 1:36 after West Virginia tied the game, Godwin Partey—an All-BIG EAST Third Team selection—won possession with a strong tackle and took off down the right flank. Partey swung a cross into the box that skidded to the far post, where Jakopovic centered a pass with his first touch directly to a streaking Guilherme Gomes.
The BIG EAST Freshman of the Year buried his ninth goal of the season to put St. John’s back in front, 3-2, with 9:26 remaining in regulation.
But Caldeira had more magic left.
In the 87th minute, a Mountaineers combination play set up Caldeira on goal, and the forward tucked a line-drive strike into the net to tie the game for the third time at 3-3.
In the final seconds of regulation, West Virginia had a chance to end it, firing a dangerous strike on frame. But St. John’s goalkeeper Alec McLachlan made a game-saving stop to send the contest into overtime—the Red Storm’s first extra-time NCAA Tournament game since a 2-1 victory over Delaware in the 2013 First Round.
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Caldeira Completes Hat Trick in Overtime
Heading into the overtime period, Porucznik had an opportunity on the left flank, but the Mountaineer defense shut it down.
In the 94th minute, Caldeira weaved his way through the St. John’s defense and fired home the game-winner to complete his hat trick and send West Virginia to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
Masur Reflects on Heartbreaking Loss
Head coach Dr. Dave Masur was visibly emotional after the match, praising his team’s effort while acknowledging the talent of the opposition.
“It’s a tough opening statement. First, we knew West Virginia was a super talented team, really good going forward. We knew we had our work cut out for us. I’m really proud of our guys. They came in and fought really hard,” Masur said. “We got the lead on them early in the second half off a penalty kick and then a good play down the flank and across. But again, West Virginia is super talented and super good going forward. We knew we had to press them a little bit. We couldn’t sit on our own end because they have a lot of talented players on the attack. So I’m really proud of our guys. It was a pretty entertaining game. I’m just sorry that we lost it when we had the lead with three minutes to go.”
On the go-ahead goal in the 81st minute, Masur highlighted the play of Partey.
“[Godwin] Partey made a big play. He stepped in and won a ball, and then he got it wide to Gabin [Thomelier], and then he got the ball across, then Julian [Jakopovic] got forward and knocked the ball back across to Guilherme [Gomes] for the goal.”
Caldeira Proves Difference-Maker
Masur acknowledged the impact of Caldeira, who came off the bench to deliver a hat trick and end St. John’s season.
“They kept him on ice for a little bit, and then he came in and did very well. So again, I probably exposed our guys a little too much. We didn’t have much cover on him. Their team moves the ball really well. They know how to operate as a group. He individually is super good because he’s individualistic, as he scored the last goal, which was fantastic. But he also has a way of setting up other people and using other people to create space for himself. He’s a very crafty player and we knew that coming in.”
McLachlan Shines in Net
Despite the loss, McLachlan was outstanding in goal for the Red Storm, making three saves—including the crucial stop in the final seconds of regulation.
“He’s been great for his entire career for us. He made a big save at the end of the game where they countered and could have won the game there in regulation,” Masur said. “He made some big plays, made a big punch in the first half of the game. Always pleased when you have a good goalie back there. He patrols the back line very well and gives us some calming influence, and so I think he was quite good in that regard.”
Historic Offensive Output in Defeat
St. John’s three goals in an NCAA Tournament game marked the most since the Red Storm’s 3-2 victory over Boston University in the 2008 Round of 16 and the most ever in a tournament defeat.
Four Red Storm players—Porucznik, Nibogora, Jakopovic, and Partey—recorded assists at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.
Masur Reflects on Program’s Legacy
Despite the heartbreaking ending, Masur took a moment to reflect on the proud history of St. John’s soccer and the team’s 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance.
“At St. John’s, we made our 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance in 35 years. We’ve been to a bunch of Quarterfinals, a bunch of Round of 16s, we’ve been to four College Cups, and won a national championship. As the competition throughout the country has gotten harder and harder, the margin for error has gotten less and less. You have to be cutting edge to be better everywhere on the field to be a top-level team,” Masur said. “We’re proud of the group that played this year at St. John’s. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to do. We’re proud to come down here and play a great team like West Virginia and play them hard until the very end.”
Season Ends with Promise
The Red Storm conclude the 2025 campaign with a 9-6-4 overall record and a roster featuring several young stars, including BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Guilherme Gomes.
With a strong core returning and a proud tradition to uphold, St. John’s will look to build on this season’s foundation and return to the NCAA Tournament in 2026.
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