STANDISH, Maine – The 2017 Saint Joseph's College women's soccer season kicks off this evening with a non-conference contest at University New England (7:00 PM). The game versus the Nor'easters is the start of an 18-match regular-season schedule for the Monks.
STARTS AT THE TOP:
Jenelle Harris, the 2016 GNAC Coach of the Year, begins her fifth season as the Monks' sideline general and guided the Royal Blue to a 10-7-3 overall record with a 6-2-3 mark in GNAC play en route to earning the #4 seed in the GNAC Tournament.
WHERE WE LEFT OFF:
In the first round of the GNAC tourney, the Monks defeated #5 Simmons College, 3-1, to snap the program's six-game postseason losing streak (dating back to 2009), but fell to eventual conference champion Lasell College, 5-1, in the semifinals.
DEARLY DEPARTED:
The Monks return all but one starter from last season, as four-year starter Desiree Parent graduated last May. A Third Team All-GNAC honoree last fall, Parent tallied three goals and two assists for eight total points her senior season. The two-year team captain capped her career with 14 goals and seven assists for 35 total points with five game-winners in 69 games.
KEY RETURNERS:
2016 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year Haley DaGraca (Saco, Maine), who netted 22 goals with 45 total points during her sophomore campaign, highlights the Monks' returner list and is joined by fellow All-Conference honorees Sarah Comtois (Lowell, Mass.), Emily DeLuca (Gorham, Maine), and Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.) as the team looks to advance even further in the GNAC Tournament this fall. All four of the aforementioned players have been selected as team captains heading into the 2017 campaign.
Comtois enjoyed a phenomenal junior season with career-highs in goals (7), assists (5), and points (19) and remains as a steadying influence in the heart of the pitch for the Monks. DeLuca collected All-GNAC acclaim after chipping in with five assists while manning the backline for the Royal Blue and senior keeper Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.) claimed All-Conference honors for the second time after posting a 1.63 goals against average with a .756 save percentage and three shutouts over 1654 minutes in net a year ago.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:
Coach Harris and her staff brought in an impressive group of newcomers this fall and four figure to see considerable minutes off the bat: midfielders Kenzie Murphy (West Baldwin, Maine) and Madeline Wood (Madison, Maine), defender Kendall Dolan (Kennebunk, Maine), and forward Kayla Gooch (Dracut, Mass.).
Murphy, a two-time All-State selection at Sacopee Valley High School, and Wood, the 2016 Maine State Class C Player of the Year and All-State honoree while staring for Madison Area Memorial High School, have both shown an impressive soccer acumen so far this fall and will be factors in all facets of the game.
Dolan, a three-time First Team All-Conference honoree while playing for Kennebunk High School, is a hard-nosed defender who will bring added tenacity to the SJC backline. Gooch, a two-time MVC All-Star at Dracut High School, is a legitimate scoring threat and figures to draw opposing defenses' attention from DaGraca up top.
GAMES TO SEE:
Sep. 18 vs. University of Southern Maine: The annual matchup versus the in-state rival Huskies will be even more interesting this fall, as the date lines up as the Opening Ceremony for the Monks' $4.7 million turf field complex.
Sep. 23 at Lasell College: In one fell swoop, the Monks look to avenge a 2016 GNAC Semifinal setback at the hands of Lasell while ending a seven-game skid at the hands of the Lasers.
Oct. 21 vs. Suffolk University: Saint Joseph's wraps up the conference regular season and hopes to head into the postseason on a winning note while sending off the program's five seniors in style in this Senior Day matchup.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 2017 SCHEDULE/OPPONENTS:
| Total Games: | 18 |
| Home/Away/Neutral: | 9/9/0 |
| Opponents' Overall Record in 2016: | 155-156-19 (.498) |
| Monks' All-Time Record vs. 2017 Foes: | 192-94-26 (.671) |
| Monks' All-Time Composite Score vs. 2017 Foes: | 720-384 |
| Longest Current Winning Streak vs. 2017 Opponent: | Thomas College (21) |
| Longest Current Winless Streak vs. 2017 Opponent: | Lasell (7) |
| All-Time SJC Shutouts vs. 2017 Foes: | 127 |
| Number of Shutouts Suffered vs. 2017 Foes: | 60 |
| 2016 NCAA Tournament Teams on 2017 Schedule: | Lasell |
| First Time Opponent(s) on 2017 Schedule: | Regis (Mass.) |
| 2017 GNAC Tournament Dates: | Oct. 28 (Quarterfinals), Oct. 31 (Semifinals), Nov. 4 (Championship) |
| NCAA Tournament Dates: | November 11 - December 2 |
#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 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.
