WINTHROP, Mass. – Saint Joseph's College of Maine and Simmons College both entered Saturday's GNAC Field Hockey regular-season finale with unblemished 5-0 records in conference play.
The lone remaining matchup for each team was a head-to-head battle Saturday afternoon, where Saint Joseph's (ME) defeated Simmons, 2-1, on a Bailey Cutler game-winner in overtime. As a result, the Monks will open postseason play as the GNAC Tournament's top seed and receive a first-round bye into the semis.
Simmons, which finishes 5-1 in league action, receives the No. 2 seed and also earns a bye into the semis.
Johnson & Wales University (4-2) earned the third seed and will take on sixth-seeded Rivier University (1-5) when GNAC first-round action begins next Saturday, November 1.
In the other first-round matchup, fifth-seeded Lasell College (2-4) will travel to fourth-seeded Anna Maria College (3-3).
Saint Joseph's (ME) will await the Anna Maria-Lasell victor on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the GNAC Tournament semifinals, while Simmons draws the winner of the JWU-Rivier contest, also on Wednesday.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement.
First Round - Saturday, November 1
Game 1: #5 Lasell at #4 Anna Maria
Game 2: #6 Rivier at #3 Johnson & Wales
Semifinals - Wednesday, November 5
Game 3: #4/5 winner at. #1 Saint Joseph's (ME)
Game 4: #3/6 winner at #2 Simmons
Championship - Saturday, November 8
Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner (at highest remaining seed)
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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.
