BOYDS, Md. – The BIG EAST Men’s Soccer Championship Presented by JEEP opened Thursday night with a pair of thrilling semifinal contests. In the opener, No. 2 seed Providence notched a golden goal to defeat No. 3 seed St. John’s, 2-1. In the late game, No. 4 seed Georgetown also scored a game-winner in overtime to outlast No. 1 seed Akron, 2-1. The Friars and Hoyas advance to Sunday’s title match at 12 p.m. ET on FS2. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
It will mark the third matchup between the Hoyas and Friars in a BIG EAST Championship Game, with Georgetown winning the title in 2021, 3-2, in double overtime, as well as in 2019, 3-1. Overall, the Friars advance to the title game for the sixth time, while Georgetown is back in the championship game for the eighth consecutive season. The Hoyas have won five BIG EAST Championships in program history (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) and will be appearing in the program's 13^th title game. Providence won the title in 2014.
 
No. 2 seed Providence 2, No. 3 seed St. John’s 1 (OT)
It did not take long for a lead to take place in the semifinal opener, as St. John’s struck first in just the second minute off a tally by Jackson Gould, assisted by Tyler Morck and Justin Kopay. The Red Storm (9-6-5, 5-1-2 BIG EAST) held strong defensively for the next 19 minutes before Pearse O’Brien of Providence found the back of the net off an assist by Diego Batista. At the break, St. John’s held an 8-5 advantage in shots, while Providence led 5-3 on corners. In the second half, both squads received multiple opportunities but neither team could pull ahead. Just 1:23 into the overtime period, Israel Dos Santos Neto buried home the golden goal to send Providence (12-4-3, 5-1-2 BE) into jubilation. Sam Montalto and Brandon Marshall collected assists on the game-winner. In net, Providence’s Lukas Burns registered seven saves, while St. John’s Alex McLachlan corralled three.

No. 4 seed Georgetown 2, No. 1 seed Akron 1 (OT)
The Hoyas struck first in the eighth minute, with Marlon Tabora finding the back of the net off an assist by Zach Zengue. Georgetown (10-4-5, 5-2-1 BE) carried the advantage into the break, leading 8-3 in first half shots. Out of the break, Akron (11-4-4, 7-0-1 BE) had multiple opportunities before the nation’s leading scorer Emil Jaaskelainen deflected a shot into the net, assisted by Ashton Kamdem and Malik Henry. Neither team could break the tie the rest of the way, resulting in the second overtime game of the night. In extra time, it was Georgetown’s Aidan Godinho who sent the Hoyas celebrating across the field, tallying his first goal of the season. In goal for the Hoyas, Tenzing Manske tallied two saves, while Akron’s Mitch Budler registered three.
 
2024 BIG EAST Championship Schedule
First Round – Nov. 9 – Campus Sites ^
No. 4 Georgetown 1, No. 5 Creighton 0
No. 3 St. John’s 2, No. 6 Seton Hall 0
No. 1 Akron 3, No. 8 DePaul 1
No. 2 Providence 2, No. 7 UConn 0

Semifinal – Nov. 14 – Maryland SoccerPlex ^
No. 2 Providence 2, No. 3 St. John's 1 (OT)
No. 4 Georgetown 2, No. 1 Akron 1 (OT)

Championship – Nov. 17 – Maryland SoccerPlex *
No. 4 Georgetown vs. No. 2 Providence, 12 p.m.
 
^BEDN on FloSports Presented by Invesco QQQ
*FS2
All Times Eastern