JAMAICA, N.Y. -- Freshman midfielder Jeff Carroll (Springfield, Va.) couldnt think of a more important goal than the one he scored on Wednesday night. Not in youth soccer, not in high school.

Carroll picked up a loose ball in front of the goal and sent it through traffic with 1:13 left in the second overtime  73 seconds before the game would go into penalty kicks  lifting fourth-seeded St. Johns past Fairleigh Dickinson, 2-1, in a second round match of the NCAA Division I Tournament at Belson Stadium on Wednesday night.

I cant think of one (bigger), Carroll said after thinking reflecting on his game-winner. The ball came out to me and I was able to trap and put it where I wanted to. I had no time to think, really. Everyone charged me and I fell to the ground.

The goal brought a thrilling game to end. Played on a cold and windy night, with temperatures in the high 30s, 781 fans saw St. Johns take a 1-0 early in the second half, but the Knights  who had won three-straight games via penalty kicks  scored in the 71st minute to tie the game.

The first half was evenly played, with both teams getting scoring chances. The Knights had the first shot, when Mirza Rusevic picked up a loose ball, had open space and sent a shot from 20 yards out that St. Johns junior goalkeeper Bill Gaudette (Hummelstown, Pa.) saved in the second minute. The Red Storms first chance came at the 10:15 mark, when a header from senior Matia Damiani (Foggia, Italy) was blocked by an FDU defender. Six minutes later, a shot from junior Simone Salinno (Lucera, Italy) after a corner kick was saved by FDU keeper Andrew Nucifora.

FDU had the first chance in the second half, with a shot from Aaron Paye saved by Gaudette, but the Red Storm quickly countered, with a Salinno shot from 10 yards out saved by a diving Nucifora.

The Red Storm finally broke through in the 63rd minute when senior midfielder Alberto Duenas (Hawthorne, Calif.) sent a free kick from the far side of the field about 25 yards out to the box. Sophomore Andre Schmid (Sacramento, Calif.) headed the ball from five yards out, beating FDU keeper Andrew Nucifora to the upper far post, giving St. Johns a 1-0 lead at 62:28.

Eight minutes later, however, the Knights scored the tying goal. A ball was sent back through the defense, and Gaudette went to clear the ball, but it deflected off Red Storm defender Patrick Lonergan (Millington, N.J.) as he fought for position with FDUs Aaron Paye. Paye picked up the loose ball from about 15 yards out and scored on an empty net, tying the game at the 70:56 mark.

The Red Storm had chances to end the game in regulation, with three corner kicks in the final minute of play, but could not get the decisive goal. Schmid had a header go high at 86:06 and then had a shot blocked at 89:37, sending the game into extra frames.

The first overtime period was scoreless, but the Red Storm had several scoring chances. A shot from sophomore forward Chris Corcoran (Marshfield, Mass.) from 10 yards went wide in the 94th minute, and a shot from Schmid immediately after also went wide. In the 98th minute, a header from senior Rich Bradley (Bayport, N.Y.) went high and one from junior Tim ONeill (Philadelphia, Pa.) went wide.

St. Johns had one shot in the opening minutes of the second overtime period  from Schmid  but it appeared the game was headed toward penalty kicks. In the final minutes, however, a foul was called on the far side of the box, giving the Red Storm a corner kick. Duenas kick went toward the box and was cleared, but Carroll trapped it with his stomach, and moved the ball to his right foot, where he sent it through traffic from about 15 yards out. Nucifora was able to get a hand on the ball, but it deflected into the far side of the goal, giving St. Johns a thrilling 2-1 win.

FDU, which had seven shots and five on goal, finishes the season at 11-5-7. The Knights had only one corner kick, and Nucifora finished with five saves.

St. Johns took 17 shots, including seven on goal, and had 12 corner kicks.

The Red Storm (13-2-5) will play Creighton, 3-2 winners over Wisconsin-Milwaukee, on Saturday night, November 30 at 7 p.m.