Box Score It was an unconventional way to do it but the Hamline men's soccer team clinched their first winning season since 2007 with a 2-1 win over St. John's Saturday at Paterson Field. Adam King's corner kick deflected off a St. John's player into their own net with 90 seconds to play to give the Pipers the win and keep them solidly entrenched in the MIAC playoff race. 

Hamline is 9-4-2 overall. More importantly, they are 3-3-2 in MIAC play. The latter number is good for 11 points, just two behind Macalester, St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus and St. John's, who are part of a four-way logjam for third place. HU is just three behind second place Carleton, which has 14 points. 

King was a factor in the game all day. He had four shots to lead Hamline's 11-shot attack. In the first half, he narrowly missed giving Hu an early lead when he smacked a ball off the crossbar. Neither team could find the net until 67:29 when King's corner kick was redirected by James Nash into the SJU goal. It was Nash's first collegiate goal in 40 games -- and his timing could not have been better. 

The Johnnies picked up the pace and tied matters at 79:53. Overtime was looming when King's corner kick from the right of the goal ricocheted off a SJU player into the net. Under NCAA rules, it is officially an "own goal." No matter. It counted big for the Pipers in their bid to return to the postseason for the second year in a row. 

Dean Isaacson recorded five saves to earn the win in goal for HU. 

The Pipers play at Bethel (8-7-1, 2-5-1 MIAC) on Tuesday, October 25 at 3:30 p.m. They wrap up the regular season against the Gusties at Paterson on Saturday, October 29.