QUEENS, N.Y. (October 16, 2010) – The No. 5 University of Connecticut men’s soccer team battled St. John’s to a scoreless double overtime tie on Saturday night at Belson Stadium.

UConn moves to 9-1-3 with its second BIG EAST Conference tie, while remaining undefeated in league play with a 3-0-2 record. St. John’s moves to 6-5-2 on the year and remains winless at 0-3-2 in conference action.

On a night with winds gusting at around 20 mph, UConn finished the night outshooting the Red Storm 17-16. With seven saves, Josh Ford recorded a season-high save tally as he picked up his 46th career shutout.

Alan Ponce gave UConn its first shot on net early in tonight’s contest but his shot was stopped by St. John’s Rafael Diaz in the third minute. Ponce finished the match with a team-high six shots, three of which were on goal.

Ford made two saves in six seconds in the 12th minute as he denied St. John’s scoring chances as the Red Storm recorded three straight shots, two on goal, early in the first half. On the initial Red Storm shot, Ford made a diving save, punching the attempt out of the 18-yard box to keep the Red Storm scoreless in the first half.

Carlos Alvarez played a great ball down the field in the 21st minute as Ponce got his foot on the ball but it was batted away by Diaz. Ponce’s next shot, three minutes later, barely missed as the wind carried his attempt over the top of the net.

St. John’s Tadeu Terra drilled his own shot at net in the 31st minute but Ford was there to make his third stop of the night.

UConn’s best scoring opportunity of the half came in the 35th minute as Alvarez placed the ball through three defenders to Ponce, who chipped it over to Max Wasserman at the top of the goal box but Wasserman’s shot went over the crossbar, missing the target by a few inches.

UConn picked up its possession late in the first half and finished the first 45 minutes of play tied with St. John’s with eight shots.

In the second half of play, Alvarez drilled his first shot of the night from the top of the 18-yard box but his attempt was punched away by Diaz for his fifth save.

Stephane Diop created another UConn attacking opportunity in the 58th minute as he dished off to his left by the goal box to Greg King, whose shot missed high of the crossbar to keep the game scoreless in the second half.  At the end of regulation, both teams were even in the shot department with 13 a piece.

In the first overtime period, Thomas Wharf played a ball through a group of St. John’s defenders into the box but as Ponce attempted a shot, Diaz came out of the goal box to make the save. Wasserman’s free kick in the final minute of the first overtime period was headed by freshman Andrew Jean-Baptiste up and over the net.

Ford grabbed a laser shot by Terra in the 103rd minute as he picked up his seventh save of the night as he finished the contest with his season-high.

UConn will return to Storrs, Conn. to host West Virginia live on SNY on Tuesday, Oct. 19 in Morrone Stadium. The BIG EAST Conference contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.