NASHUA, NH – Saint Joseph's (8-6-2, 5-3-1 GNAC) tipped Rivier University (0-11-1, 0-7-1 GNAC), 2-1 in double-overtime, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer match on Saturday afternoon. Junior Zach Johnson (Westbrook, Maine) netted the winner with just 2:14 remaining in the second OT frame.
St. Joe's kicked off the scoring early when senior Alex Day (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) netted his second goal of the year 3:15 after the opening whistle. Rivier freshman Edward Soucie (South Ryegate, Vt.) knotted the contest just over nine minutes later and, despite numerous opportunities by the Monks, the game would not be decided until 108th minute.
Junior keeper Kenny Grade (Hampton, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) entered in relief of starter Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho) after the first half and made three saves in 62:46 to earn the victory. Rivier netminder Matthew St. Peter (Colchester, Vt.) tallied 13 stops in a losing effort.
Saint Joseph's held sizeable advantages in shots (40-6), shots on goal (15-4) and corner kicks (8-1) in the victory.
With the triumph, St. Joe's improves to 5-2-1 in the history of the series with Rivier and has now defeated the Raiders in five straight meetings dating back to the 2008 season. Exactly half of the Monks' 16 matches have required overtime to complete and the Royal Blue owns a respectable 4-2-2 record in extra play contests this fall.
Saint Joseph's is set to host non-conference foe Maine-Presque Isle on Sunday at 1:00 PM, while Rivier plays at Johnson & Wales in a GNAC match on Wednesday at 6:00 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.