First-year midfielder Chris Hegardt led the No. 5 Georgetown men’s soccer team to a narrow 1-0 victory over St. John’s on Saturday in a Big East matchup at Shaw Field. 

With home-field advantage, the Hoyas (3-0-1, 3-0-1 Big East) started the game with a pair of shots against the Red Storm (4-3-0, 2-3-0 Big East). Georgetown sophomore midfielder Dante Polvara took the first shot of the game in the fourth minute, but the ball sailed over the crossbar. Polvara’s attempt was followed by another shot in the sixth minute. 

Despite these early advantages, St. John’s held an advantage in time of possession throughout the first few minutes. In the 10th minute, St. John’s defender Jared Juleau took a long range shot on goal, which was collected by Georgetown junior goalkeeper Giannis Nikopolidis. 

Polvara threatened the St. John’s defense from inside the penalty box in the 26th minute. His shot went low center, forcing a save from Red Storm goalkeeper Luka Gavran.

In the 30th minute, junior midfielder Zach Riviere ran down the right wing and sent in a grounded cross for senior forward Derek Dodson. Dodson was inside the penalty box, but his shot was blocked by the St. John’s defense. Hegardt was quick to get on the rebound from Dodson’s shot. His subsequent shot deflected off a Red Storm defender and found the back of the net.

Following their goal, the Hoyas took two more shots before halftime but failed to score on either attempt. Just before the referee blew the whistle, St. John’s forward Tani Oluwaseyi aimed for the low center, but Nikopolidis came to the rescue and the score remained 1-0. 

At the end of the first half, the Hoyas were up by one goal and had managed to outshoot the Red Storm 8-3. Georgetown had no penalties, while St. John’s had already collected two yellow cards.

The second half became physical, with the referee handing out two more yellow cards while the Hoyas continued to push for a second goal. 

In the 55th minute, senior midfielder Jacob Montes took a shot on target, but St. John’s goalkeeper Jan Hoffelner was able to make the save. This save was followed by another shot on target in the 58th minute, but the Hoyas were once again denied by Hoffelner. 

St. John’s tried to equalize but did not manage to get more than one shot in the second half. Georgetown kept the St. John’s team on the back foot and was careful not to offer any chances to level the score. 

Georgetown won the game 1-0. This game was a much-needed victory for the Hoyas after their previous match against No. 14 Providence College ended in a draw, thus ending their eight-game winning streak dating back to the Big East semifinals Nov. 13, 2019. 

The Hoyas outshot St. John’s 11-4. The game ended with 23 fouls and four yellow cards in total. 

Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese commented on the game during a post-match press conference. 

“This wasn’t the prettiest performance, but it was a professional three points in a critical game,” Wiese said. “We haven’t put together a proper performance this season, but this is the challenge that every team in the country has trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible.” 

The Hoyas will return to the pitch on the road Saturday, March 20 in South Orange, N.J. against the Seton Hall Pirates. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT.