QUEENS, N.Y. — St. John's University’s women’s soccer squad opened its 2026 campaign Thursday night with a 2-1 defeat to the University of Massachusetts at Cox Family Field, Belson Stadium.
Early UMass strikes set the tone
The visitors grabbed control inside the first 12 minutes, scoring twice to put the Red Storm on their heels. UMass struck first in the eighth minute when Annie McCaffrey threaded a pass to Kaila Steen, who set up Caroline Dickson for a headed finish in the box. Just over four minutes later the Minutewomen doubled the advantage off a set piece: Peyton Costello’s free kick into the penalty area was settled by Amelia Deren and finished by McCaffrey.
After those early blows, St. John's pushed to recover. The club’s best look in the first half came in the 29th minute when Sia Bharadwaj tested the crossbar, rattling the left post. UMass, though, dominated much of the opening 45: the Minutewomen out-shot St. John's 11-3 in the period.
Red Storm rally falls short
The Red Storm found life in the 66th minute when Nora Basile capitalized on a Minutewomen miscued goal kick, intercepting the clearance and sending the ball into an open net to halve the deficit. St. John's controlled the second half in many statistical measures — out-shooting UMass 5-1 after the break and earning three corners to UMass’s one — but could not find an equalizer.
"University of Massachusetts women's soccer used a pair of early goals to help the squad secure a 2-1 win over St. John's in the squads' 2026 season opener,"
St. John's goalkeeper Kayla Bower made six saves on the night, while UMass netminder Leah Nisenfeld recorded two. The UMass backline held firm in the closing stages to preserve the one-goal lead.
- Final score: UMass 2, St. John's 1
- Key moments: Early UMass goals (8', 12'); St. John's goal (66')
- Goalkeepers: Kayla Bower (St. John's) — 6 saves; Leah Nisenfeld (UMass) — 2 saves
Numbers at a glance
| Statistic | First half | Second half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shots (UMass) | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| Shots (St. John's) | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Corner kicks (St. John's) | — | 3 | 3 |
| Corner kicks (UMass) | — | 1 | 1 |
| Saves | Leah Nisenfeld — 2 | Kayla Bower — 6 | — |
For supporters who watched, the match was a reminder of the thin margins in early-season fixtures. St. John's created better chances after the interval but were left chasing after a quick and efficient UMass opening.
What it means for St. John's
The loss hands St. John's an opening-game setback as the Red Storm look to build momentum for conference play and home dates in Queens and back on campus. The team showed resilience in the second half and produced the more sustained attacking pressure after the break — encouraging signs for the coaching staff as they assess match fitness and tactical shape early in the campaign.
Next up for UMass is a Thursday match on Aug. 20 against NJIT at Rudd Field. St. John's will regroup in practice and set their sights on their upcoming schedule as the season unfolds.
In a sport where a single misplayed goal kick can change the entire script, Thursday’s encounter was a tidy lesson in taking chances when they appear — and in defending with concentration for the full 90 minutes.
