STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (8-0, 3-0 NAC) netted a pair of goals in the second half to defeat New England College (1-11, 0-3 NAC), 2-0, in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) field hockey action at Mercy Field on Sunday afternoon.
Despite owning a whopping 18-1 shots advantage in the first frame, the Monks headed into intermission entangled in a scoreless deadlock. The stalemate was finally broken eight minutes into the second stanza when junior forward Effie Drew (Portland, Maine) converted a beautiful backhand slap to stake the Monks to 1-0 lead.
Sophomore forward Amanda Celata (Dedham, Mass.) found the back of the net to complete the scoring in the 57th minute. The Monks' second unassisted goal of the game provided some necessary breathing room for the hosts and accounted for the 2-0 final score.
Saint Joseph's dominated play, with a 36-1 shots advantage and a 13-2 lead in penalty corners overall. If not for the play of New England College senior goalkeeper Courtney Duquette (Enfield, N.H.), who made 20 saves in a losing effort, the complexion of the contest may have been much different.
SJC freshman netminder Emma Astbury (Bridgewater, Vt.) was forced to make just one save in registering her fourth shutout of the season.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 3-2 in the history of the series with New England College. The Monks dropped both games versus the Pilgrims last fall, including a 2-1 season-ending setback in a NAC Tournament Quarterfinal on October 27th.
Saint Joseph's returns to action next Saturday when the team travels to Castleton State College for a key NAC matchup versus the Spartans beginning at 1:00 PM. The Pilgrims will host conference-rival Lasell College next Saturday in a 5:30 PM start.
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.
