NEW HAVEN, CT – Albertus Magnus College (4-1-0, 2-0-0 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's College (1-4-1, 0-2-0 GNAC), 2-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer contest on Thursday afternoon. SJC junior goalkeeper Kenny Grade (Hampton, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) made nine saves in a losing effort.
The host-Falcons wasted little time gaining an edge as brothers Alex and Stephen Zapata (Hamden, Conn.) connected on a free kick to give their team a 1-0 lead just 4:36 into play. The younger Zapata, Alex – a freshman, scored his second goal of the season on what was the very first shot of the game.
The Falcons' slim advantage held until the 77th minute when Riker Mitchell (Naugatuck, Conn.) tapped in a rebound off a Nick Hamasian (Hamden, Conn.) shot, closing out the game scoring with Albertus on top by a 2-0 margin.
Falcons' senior netminder Donato Piroscafo (Naugatuck, Conn.) recorded seven saves to record his second shutout of the young season. Albertus held slim advantages in shots (18-16), shots on goal (11-7) and corner kicks (5-4) on the afternoon.
Leading the Monks' fruitless offensive efforts was junior Ross Suleski (Amesbury, Mass./St. Thomas Aquinas), who registered five shots, including three on goal, in the loss.
With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 2-5 in the history of the series with Albertus Magnus College. The Falcons have now defeated the Monks in four consecutive meetings, three by way of the shutout, dating back to the 2010 campaign.
St. Joe's, which opened the 2012 season with a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Southern Maine on August 31st, is in the midst of a five-game winless streak for the first time since the Royal Blue uncharacteristically suffered six straight setbacks to close out the 2012 season. The Monks have been outscored by a 10-4 margin during the five game drought.
Saint Joseph's will play at Mount Ida College on Saturday in a GNAC tilt slated to start at 1:00 PM.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
