STANDISH, Maine – GNAC Champion Saint Joseph's College (13-6, 5-1 GNAC) is set to play at #10 Montclair State University (16-5, 5-1 NJAC) in the opening round of the NCAA DIII Field Hockey Tournament at 4:00 PM this afternoon.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Top-seeded Saint Joseph's defeated #2 Simmons College, 1-0, to claim the GNAC Championship – and first-ever conference title - last Saturday.

Montclair State suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of The College of New Jersey, ranked fifth nationally, in the NJAC Championship on Saturday, but earned one of five NCAA Tournament at-large berths.

WHAT WE KNOW

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks are making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance
• Saint Joseph's ranks among the NCAA DIII leaders in goals against average (0.94, 15th), shutouts per game (0.47, 12th)
• Since October 1st, the Monks have outscored opponents by an aggregate 37-1 score over 11 contests

Montclair State:

• The Red Hawks are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2013 – MSU to the NCAA Championship game in 2012
• Montclair State ranks 22nd nationally in goals against average (1.13) and 25th in winning percentage (.762)
• Playing in one of the toughest regions – and conferences – in the country, the Red Hawks have the eighth-highest strength of schedule with an opponents' winning percentage of .622

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Freshman forward Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine), the 2016 GNAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-GNAC selection leads the Monks in goals (15), assists (10), points (40) and game-winning goals (7)
• Senior forward Kelsey Dumond (Lewiston, Maine), a three-time All-Conference honoree, is second on the squad in goals (9), assists (7), and points (25)

Montclair State:

• Junior Kaitlyn Struss (Fairfield, N.J.) paces the Red Hawks in goals (13) and points (30) with four game-winners
• Sophomore Amber Haslett (Butler, N.J.) has tallied 10 goals with six assists for 26 total points and claimed First Team All-NJAC honors

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's: Sophomore Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine) is 12-6 with seven shutouts and sports a 0.97 goals against average with a .765 save percentage in 1154 minutes between the pipes. She ranks 15th in NCAA DIII Field Hockey in goals against average and earned First Team All-GNAC honors.

Montclair State: Junior Kaitlin Maguire (Toms River, N.J.) sports a 1.10 goals against average with a 16-5 record and five shutouts and has allowed 23 goals with 67 saves in 1464 minutes for a .744 save percentage this fall.

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Rupert Lewis, in his 12th season on the SJC sideline, owns a 140-80 (.636) career record and was selected as the Conference Coach of the Year for the third time this season. When Coach Lewis assumed control of the SJC program in the fall of 2005, he inherited a team that owned a 48-107 (.310) record with one winning season in 10 years as an NCAA DIII varsity sport. In his time at Saint Joseph's, the Monks have enjoyed 10 winning seasons and the program's all-time record now stands one game above .500 (188-187).

Eileen O'Reilly is in her second season as the Head Coach of the MSU field hockey program and owns an impressive 31-10 (.756) record in two years at the helm.

COMMON FOE:

Today's contest marks the first meeting between the Monks and Red Hawks, share one common opponent in Kean University. The Monks lost to the Cougars 4-0 in late September. Meanwhile the Red Hawks collected a pair of wins against Kean, including a 1-0 win in an NJAC Tournament semifinal last week.

#GOMONKS

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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 474-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.