STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (8-4, 4-2 NAC) tipped Salem State University (8-4, 4-3 LEC), 1-0, in non-conference field hockey action at Mercy Field on Tuesday afternoon. Junior Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.) netted the game-winning goal with 13:49 remaining in regulation.
The game's only goal was scored off a scramble in the Vikings' goalmouth in the 57th minute ,when Salem netminder Michelle Boyer (South Hadley, Mass.) was unable to control the rebound after stopping a shot taken by Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus). Following several seconds of jockeying in the goalmouth, Carley Denis (Lewiston, Maine) managed to corral the loose ball and fed a short pass to Messuri, who flicked a reverse backhand shot into the heart of the cage to lift the hosts to a 1-0 advantage.
SJC goalie Taylor Allison (Pawtucket, R.I.) made one stop to notch her sixth shutout of the year and is now tied with 2011 NFHCA All-America honoree Meaghan Johnson '12 for the most single-season goose-egg efforts at Saint Joseph's. Boyer was quite busy in the cage and tallied 10 saves in a losing effort.
Saint Joseph's posted considerable advantages in shots (18-3), shots on goal (11-1) and penalty corners (17-4) in today's triumph. With the result, St. Joe's improves to 3-1 in the history of the series with Salem State and avenges a 1-0 loss at the hands of the Vikings last fall. All four contests between the Monks and Vikings have been decided by one goal.
Saint Joseph's will play at Maine-Farmington on Thursday in a North Atlantic Conference contest slated to start at 3:30 PM. Salem State travels to Plymouth State on Saturday for a Little East Conference tilt beginning at 12:00 PM.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.