STANDISH, ME – Simmons College (2-3, 1-1 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's College (3-1, 0-1 GNAC), 1-0, in the Monks' 2012 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener at Westerlea Way Field on Saturday afternoon. SJC netminder Jaci Lorenzen (Windham, Maine) recorded nine saves in the hard-fought loss.

The visiting Sharks broke a scoreless tie in the 52nd minute of play when junior Desh Perera (Reading, Mass.), who sprinted past several St. Joe's defenders to collect a high-bouncing clearing kick off the foot of Simmons keeper Briana Hayes (Manorville, N.Y.) near midfield, broke free on a breakaway to net the game's only goal.

Simmons, which lost to reigning GNAC Champion Lasell College by a 2-1 margin on Wednesday, held advantages in shots (25-12) and corner kicks (7-4) in today's match.

Sophomore Lauren Titus (Arundel, Maine) paced the Monks with three shots while freshman Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.) attempted two shots in a losing effort. Hayes made five saves to collect the shutout for the visitors.

With the result, Saint Joseph's falls to 3-3-1 in the history of the series with Simmons College. The Monks snapped a three-game winless streak versus the Sharks last fall with a 3-0 victory over Simmons in Boston on September 28th.

Both teams return to the pitch to face GNAC opponents on Wednesday, when Saint Joseph's travels to Saint Joseph University (CT) for a 4:00 PM kick-off and Simmons hosts Suffolk University at 7:00 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.