BOSTON, MA - Junior forward Effie Drew (Portland, Maine) tallied two goals and an assist to push Saint Joseph's (4-0, 1-0 NAC) past Simmons College (5-3, 0-1 NAC), 3-1, in what was the 2013 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) season-opener for both programs on Saturday afternoon.

Saint Joseph's cracked the scoring column at the 18:41 mark of the first half when Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) found Drew in the left slot for a shot into the right corner of the cage for a 1-0 edge.  The pair connected again with just 74 seconds left in the opening period to give the Monks a 2-0 lead.  Hendrix blasted a shot from just inside the top of the circle that was saved by the Simmons keeper, but Drew collected the rebound and scored on the put back for her second tally of the afternoon and team-leading fifth of the season.

The visitors added an insurance goal with 6:02 remaining in the match when Drew collected a helper on a short pass inside the box to sophomore forward Amanda Celata (Dedham, Mass.), who connected on a shot inside the crease to provide the Monks with a 3-0 margin.

The Sharks got on the board with 1:42 to go in the game, courtesy of sophomore forward Amy Cronin's (Georgetown, Mass.) third goal of the season on a long pass from senior midfielder Seneca Martensson (East Longmeadow, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 3-1.

First-year keeper Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.) earned the victory for the Monks with six saves, while freshman goalie Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) turned away five shots for the Sharks.

Saint Joseph's held a slim 10-8 lead in shots and both clubs attempted eight penalty corners in the conference opener.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 13-6 in the history of the series with Simmons College. The Monks have now defeated the Sharks in nine-consecutive meetings dating back to the 2006 season.

Saint Joseph's plays at University of Southern Maine on Wednesday at 4:00 PM while Simmons resumes play with a 7:00 PM contest at Anna Maria College on Thursday.

Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 430-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.