STANDISH, ME – The 2014 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Lacrosse Tournament bracket has been announced and Saint Joseph's College (6-7, 5-5 GNAC) has earned the #6 seed. The Monks will play at #3 Becker College (11-4, 7-3 GNAC) in a quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday at 4:00 PM.

Emmanuel College (12-3, 10-0 GNAC) is the top seed and will host #8 Johnson & Wales University (4-12, 2-8 GNAC) in quarterfinal play on Tuesday. Other first-round matchups include #7 Rivier University (8-7, 5-5 GNAC) playing at #2 Lasell College (10-5, 9-1 GNAC) and #5 Mount Ida College (9-7, 6-4 GNAC) traveling to #4 Norwich University (7-9, 7-3 GNAC).

Led by first-year Head Coach David Beriau, the Monks have posted the most impressive defensive numbers in team history and rank among the conference leaders in several categories. Saint Joseph's is tied with Emmanuel atop the goals allowed (82) docket and ranks second in the GNAC in goals against average (6.12) and third in save percentage (62.4%). The Monks, a seventh-year NCAA varsity program, are on pace to shatter the team single-season records in all three categories this spring.

Becker, guided by fourth-year Head Coach Shawn Degnan, features the top scoring offense in the GNAC with league-leading totals in goals (171) and goals per game (11.40) in 15 contests this season. The Hawks also lead the conference - by wide margins - in ground balls (592) and caused turnovers (240) this year.

In the only meeting between the conference rivals this spring, the Hawks tipped the Monks by a 4-2 tally. For Becker, the scoring output in the triumph was the lowest all season. Saint Joseph's managed to rattle off 33 shots in the loss, but only 14 were on goal as senior Jake Ricciardi (Sharon, Mass.) potted both of the SJC goals in the contest, which was played at Deering Memorial Stadium on April 2nd.

Saint Joseph's has advanced to the postseason in each of the last five years, but has just one tournament victory - a 10-9 win over Becker on April 26th, 2011 - during the span. The Monks suffered a 9-8 loss at the hands of Emmanuel in the opening round of the tourney last spring.

Becker notched the first GNAC Tournament win in program history last season when the Hawks topped Lasell, 12-8, in quarterfinal action on April 23rd, 2013.

The victor of the Saint Joseph's / Becker College contest moves on to play the winner of the Rivier University / Lasell College matchup in a semifinal to be played on Friday. The highest remaining seed hosts in each tournament game.

2014 GNAC Men's Lacrosse Bracket:

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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.