Collegiate Soccer Title To St. John’s Longstanding Basketball Power Claims First Ncaa Championship

St. John’s finally has a national championship, and it came in soccer, of all sports.

The Red Storm, a power in basketball and Northeast baseball, beat Florida International 4-1 Sunday in the NCAA men’s soccer final for the school’s first title in any sport.

“My dream has come true,” said Jesse Van Saun, who scored the first goal for the Red Storm. “When you get a bunch of guys who really do believe they can win a national championship, it can happen.”

St. John’s (22-2-2) received goals 78 seconds apart in the first half from Van Saun and Wojtek Krakowiak. Ben Hickey and Medufia Kulego also scored for the Red Storm, who had been 0-4 in the NCAA tournament before this year.

With former basketball coach Lou Carnesecca among those in the crowd of 20,874, St. John’s scored the most goals in the final since San Francisco beat Indiana 4-3 in overtime in 1980. It was the most lopsided victory since USF defeated Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 4-0 in 1975.