Mattos Bicycle Kick Lifts Monks to 2-1 Win over Wildcats

Mattos Bicycle Kick Lifts Monks to 2-1 Win over Wildcats

PORTLAND, Maine – Sophomore Brett Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) scored on a bicycle-kick attempt as regulation time expired to lift Saint Joseph's College (8-1-2, 4-0-0 GNAC) to a 2-1 victory over Johnson & Wales University (5-2-4, 2-1-1 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer action at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

WALK-OFF WIN

With 23 seconds left, a foul was called on Johnson & Wales near midfield and SJC Head Coach Adrian Dubois called on sophomore keeper Blake Mullen (Manchester, Conn.) to take the free kick. As time ticked off the clock, Mullen launched the set piece to the right side of the box to find Jesse Ramirez (Dumont, N.J), who met the ball with a header flick pass to Mattos, who finished the play with a perfectly-executed bicycle kick to the top right corner of the net.

With the triumph, the Monks extend their undefeated streak to a program-record nine games. St. Joe's is currently riding a seven-game winning streak.

THE 'OTHER' GOALS

Saint Joseph's was on the board early, as the freshman duo of Noah Robinson (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and JoJo Strobino (Clifton, N.J.) connected to lift the Monks to a 1-0 edge 9:49 into play. Dribbling in the left corner, Strobino eluded a JWU defender and chipped a pass towards the far post as Robinson streaked in and one-timed the feed with a header into an empty net for his first NCAA marker.

Johnson & Wales, the defending three-time GNAC Champion, tied the game on a Saint Joseph's own goal in the 70th minute, as a Riley McNicholas (Hopkinton, N.H.) crossing attempt took an odd bounce and ricocheted off the foot of an SJC defender into the back of the net.

THE KEEPERS

Mullen registered seven saves in the victory while his counterpart, Johnson & Wales senior Jon Robbins (Berkley Heights, N.J.), made a pair of stops in the losing effort.

Technically speaking, with the JWU goal being an SJC own goal, Mullen has not allowed an opponent to score in nearly 455 minutes of play. The Monks have outscored opponents by an 18-6 margin through 11 contests so far this fall.

TEAM STATS

Saint Joseph's held a 12-11 lead in shots while Johnson & Wales posted advantages in corner kicks (4-3) and shots on goal (8-4) on the afternoon.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 8-7 all-time versus Johnson & Wales, the unanimous favorite in the 2016 GNAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll. For the Monks, today's win snaps a five-game losing streak at the hands of the Wildcats.

NEXT!

Saint Joseph's has a quick turnaround, as the Monks are back in action tomorrow with a 4:00 PM non-conference game at Southern Maine. Johnson & Wales plays at Salve Regina University at 3:30 PM on Tuesday.

 

#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.