PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Top-seeded Johnson & Wales University (14-5-1, 8-1-0 GNAC) defeated #8 Saint Joseph's College (5-16-0, 3-6-0 GNAC), 2-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Quarterfinal on Friday evening.
With the victory, Johnson & Wales – the defending conference champion – advances to the semifinal round as the Wildcats will host the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal match between #4 Albertus Magnus College and #5 Mount Ida College on Tuesday. For the Monks, the setback signals the end of the 2014 season.
After a scoreless first half in which the Wildcats outshot the Monks 13-1, junior Marcos Mendez (Brewster, Wash.) used a pass from sophomore Kyle Mike (Monroe, N.J.) to deflect the ball into the back of the net and give the hosts the lead in the 62nd minute.
The hosts' one-goal margin remained until the 89th minute when Wildcats senior Kyle Metz (St. James, N.Y.) connected on a shot to the lower left corner of the net to account for the 2-0 final.
Saint Joseph's junior netminder Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho) was brilliant in goal with nine saves in the losing bid while his counterpart, JWU senior keeper Ryan Dzierzawski (Oakland, Mich.), made a pair of stops in the shutout victory.
Overall, Johnson & Wales owned a 25-3 lead in shots and an 11-2 advantage in corner kicks on the evening.
The tournament loss brings an end to the NCAA careers for the Monks' three seniors: Garrett Darnell (Gray, Maine), Robert Petrosillo (Methuen, Mass.) and Jason Wade (South Hampton, N.H.), a trio that helped the Royal Blue post a 39-36-3 (.520) record with four conference tournament appearances and a GNAC Championship during their time on the pitch.
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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.