STANDISH, Maine – In a rematch of the 2016 conference championship, #2 Saint Joseph's College (13-5, 5-1 GNAC) will host #3 Simmons College (12-6, 5-2 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Semifinal action at 12:00 PM today at the SJC Athletics Complex.

BRACKETOLOGY:

Saturday, October 28 - First Round

Game 1: #5 Mount Ida 1, #4 Johnson & Wales 0

Game 2: #3 Simmons 8, #6 Anna Maria 0

Wednesday, November 1 - Semifinals

Game 3: #5 Mount Ida @ #1 Lasell

Game 4: #3 Simmons @ #2 Saint Joseph's

Saturday, November 4 - Final

Game 5: @ Highest remaining seed

FACTS & FIGURES:

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks lead the conference in penalty corners (179), rank second in shots (304) and shots on goal (212), third in shots per game (16.9) and defensive saves (5), and fourth in goals (39), SOG percentage (70%), and assists (26)
• The Monks outscored conference opponents by 21-3 margin this fall with five shutouts in seven GNAC regular-season contests
• Saint Joseph's posted a 7-2 record and defeated opponents by an aggregate 22-6 score during the month of October

Simmons:

• The Sharks pace the GNAC in defensive saves (14) and rank second in goals (56), shot percentage (0.2) and assists (36), third in shots on goal (185) and penalty corners (146), and fourth in shots (273) and shots per game (15.2)
• Simmons outscored GNAC foes by a 22-3 collective score during the regular season
• Featuring an explosive offensive attack, the Sharks netted 23 of their 56 goals in three games (Wheelock (8), New England College (7), Anna Maria (8))

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Sophomore forward Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine), the reigning GNAC Rookie of the Year, is one of the elite players in the conference and ranks first in game-winners (6), second in shots (96), third in goals (17), and sixth in points (38)
• Junior forward Kayla Kelly (York, Maine) is in the midst of a breakout season with nine goals and two assists for 20 total points
• Senior defender Hayley Winslow (Falmouth, Maine) has shown the ability to step forward and has tallied five goals and two assists for 12 points
• Junior defender Kayla Veilleux (Sabattus, Maine) has three defensive saves

Simmons:

• Senior forward Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.), the 2014 GNAC Rookie of the Year and two-time GNAC Offensive Player of the Year, is tied for the conference lead in goals (21) and game-winners (6) and is second in the GNAC in points (46) – in 71 career games, the four-year standout has tallied 162 points (73 goals, 16 assists)
• Senior forward Sammy Rondeau (Franklin, Mass.) is second on the squad in goals (16) and points (40)
• Junior forward Missie Maiewski (Northampton, Mass.) has tallied six goals and six assists for 18 total points

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's: Junior Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine) is 12-5 with six shutouts and sports a 0.97 goals against average with a .768 save percentage in 1153 minutes between the pipes. She is second in the conference in goals against average, fewest goals allowed (16), and shutouts and was named as the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Week on September 18th.

Simmons: Freshman Lucy McNamara (Brewster, Mass.) is 12-6 with three shutouts and carries a 1.50 goals against average with a .792 save percentage into the GNAC Semifinal. The three-time GNAC Rookie of the Week leads the conference in minutes (1210) and ranks third in GAA, saves (99), and save percentage.

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Rupert Lewis, in his 13th season on the SJC sideline, is 154-86 (.642) overall with a 61-11 (.847) record in conference play during his collegiate career. He is far and away the program's most successful skipper and has garnered three Coach of the Year honors for his efforts.

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 11 winning seasons and the program's all-time record now stands at 202-194.

In eight seasons as the Sharks' Head Coach, Amanda Maxwell owns an 82-69 (.543) record and guided her program to GNAC Championships in 2014 and 2015. For her efforts, she has been selected as the conference coach of the year twice in the last four seasons.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

Saint Joseph's edged Simmons, 2-1, on October 14th in Boston. Junior Kara Kelly (York, Maine) and Pomerleau both scored for the Monks while junior Meghan Fontaine (Westminster, Mass.) netted the Sharks' lone marker. St. Joe's held a 13-5 advantage in shots with a 10-2 lead in shots on goal while Simmons maintained a 5-3 edge in penalty corners.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is 17-8 all-time versus Simmons College and has defeated the Sharks in three-consecutive meetings. The Monks have outscored the Sharks by an aggregate 31-12 margin in 12 meetings since the two teams became conference (NAC) foes in 2008.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Monks have never missed the postseason in 10 years as a member of a conference and have advanced to the conference championship game six times in the last nine years. Saint Joseph's edged Simmons, 1-0, in the 2016 GNAC Championship, claiming the first conference crown in program history, and proceeded to defeat #10 Montclair State in the NCAA Tournament last fall.

The Sharks claimed the first two GNAC Field Hockey Championship titles (GNAC began sponsoring the sport in 2014) with a 3-1 win over Anna Maria College in the 2014 title game and a 1-0 triumph over Saint Joseph's in 2015.

#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.