STANDISH, Maine – A goal scored by senior forward Danielle Daigle (Dayton, Maine) just 23 seconds into play proved to be the winner as Saint Joseph's (5-5-0, 2-1-0 GNAC) edged Albertus Magnus College (5-5-0, 2-1-0 GNAVC), 1-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer contest at Westerlea Way Field on an unusually warm Saturday afternoon.
Following a throw-in on the left side near the 40-yard mark, Daigle found space and booted what appeared to be a crossing pass to classmate Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine), but the ball carried and sailed over the outstretched arms of Albertus junior keeper Maria Case (West Haven, Conn.) for what turned out to be the game's only goal.
The Falcons had several chances to knot the score late in the match. In the 68th minute, sophomore midfielder Danielle Polvan (East Haven, Conn.) was sprung free in the box but her muffed kick trickled wide left by several inches. Just over 10 minutes later, sophomore Kaitlyn Fedumenti (Stratford, Conn.) was awarded a free kick from approximately 40 yards out but her attempt sailed inches over the crossbar.
Albertus junior forward Acacia Nelson (Bridgeport, Conn.), perhaps one of the quicker players in the conference, also had several opportunities to put her team on the board but was thwarted each time by a stout Saint Joseph's backline.
St. Joe's freshman keeper Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.) made four saves in the shutout effort, but the stats do not tell the entire story, as the rookie netminder displayed a great feel for knowing when to abandon her line and challenge for a loose ball. Her ability in this area could very well have been a deciding factor in today's victory.
Case also played very well and made seven saves in the losing effort. The Falcons held leads in shots (13-11) and corner kicks (4-1) on the afternoon.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 6-3 all-time against Albertus Magnus and snaps a three-game losing streak at the hands of the Falcons, a side that outscored the Monks by an 8-1 margin during the three-game spell.
Saint Joseph's, winners of four of the last five games, will play at Suffolk University on Wednesday in a GNAC match slated to begin at 8:00 PM. Albertus Magnus travels to Johnson & Wales University for a 6:30 PM conference contest on Wednesday.
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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.