WASHINGTON – The No. 2/2 Georgetown University men's soccer team finished the regular season unbeaten as the squad defeated the St. John's University Red Storm 1-0 Saturday afternoon at Belson Stadium in the BIG EAST Conference finale. With the win, the Hoyas improve to 7-0-2 on the season and the same in BIG EAST Conference play. It also secures the top seed in the East Division as well as becoming the host site for the BIG EAST Championship presented by JEEP which will begin on Thursday with the semifinal matches at Shaw Field.

Head Coach Brian Wiese

• "Our games against St. John's are usually tight, and winning at Belson is always an accomplishment. St. John's was fighting through some adversity with their roster and I think they rose to the occasion exceptionally well. We had a heady goal from (Derek) Dodson and Dante (Polvara) with two experienced guys recognizing an opportunity. We would have loved to expand on the lead, but BIG EAST games on the road are always tough so we're just excited to win the East Division and to be home for the BIG EAST Tournament."

How it Happened

• Both teams were quiet early in the contest as the teams were adjusting to new lineups as the Hoyas had two players depart for the professional ranks and the Red Storm (5-5, 3-5 BIG EAST) had a number of players out.
• As Georgetown began to push, it was freshman Chris Hegardt who had two good looks at the goal.
• In the 39th minute, a foul was called on the Red Storm at the top of the box. Senior captain Derek Dodson took the ball and saw sophomore Dante Polvara streaking down the field on the left side. Dodson opted for the quick restart and fed it to Polvara who fired catching the Red Storm off guard and making it 1-0.
• The Hoyas would hold the one-goal advantage at the half.
• The second half saw Dodson get some looks as he had two good chances that were thwarted by Red Storm defense.
• In the 83rd minute, the clean sheet was secured by junior keeper Giannis Nikopolidis who saved a St. John's penalty kick with a dive to his left.
• That would be the last opportunity as Georgetown held on for the 1-0 victory.

Of Note

• Georgetown outshot St. John's 10-3 with six on goal to the Red Storm's one.
• The Hoyas were awarded five corner kicks to SJU's one in the game.
• Nikopolidis took the win managing one save on the afternoon.

Up Next

• The Hoyas will face the second seed from the Midwest Division in Creighton on Thursday in the BIG EAST semifinal at Shaw Field at noon. The game will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Digital Network. The winners of the two semifinal matches will meet in the championship game on Saturday at Shaw Field at 3 p.m. on FS2. Live stats will also be available for all three matches at GUHoyas.com.

Fan Information

• All Georgetown men's soccer home games are currently scheduled to be played at Shaw Field. In accordance with Washington, D.C. regulations which limit the size of in-person gatherings, fans are regrettably not permitted to attend home games at this time.