STANDISH, Maine – #3 Saint Joseph's College (11-7-0, 10-3-0 GNAC) will host #6 Elms College (9-6-3, 7-4-2 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal game at 2:00 PM on Saturday.

OVERVIEW:

Saturday's winner advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC tourney and will face the victor of the #7 Regis College / #2 Lasell University quarterfinal on Wednesday.

The other arm of the bracket features quarterfinal contests between #1 Johnson & Wales University and #8 Emmanuel College and #4 University of Saint Joseph and #5 Albertus Magnus College.

The winner of the GNAC Championship game, set to be played on Saturday, November 6th, earns an automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Championship, which begins on November 13th.

FACTS & FIGURES:

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks are currently ranked third in the GNAC in shots on goal percentage (.558), fourth in goals scored (35), shots on goal (149), shot percentage (.131), assists (24), and shutouts (8)
• St. Joe's averages 1.94 goals on 14.8 shots per game with a 1.36 goals against average
• The Monks are 5-2-0 during the month of October with four wins being of the shutout variety
• Saint Joseph's is 7-3-0 at the SJC Athletics Complex this season with losses to University of New England and Bowdoin College and a double-overtime loss to Lasell

Elms College:

• The Blazers enter the postseason ranked second in shots on goal percentage (.611), fifth in assists (23) and shutouts (6), and sixth in shots on goal (138) and corner kicks (77)
• Elms averages 1.53 goals per game on 13.4 shots per contest with a 1.66 goals against average
• The Blazers are 4-2-2 in eight conference games in the month of October, with wins over Dean, University of Saint Joseph, and Anna Maria and draws with Colby-Sawyer and Regis
• Elms is 5-4-1 on the road this fall, a docket that includes wins over Rivier, Albertus Magnus, and Dean College

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Freshman Alicen Burnham (Monmouth, Maine) is the Monks' active scoring leader with seven goals and 16 total points; the first-year forward is tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals
• Senior Kayley Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) has scored two goals with four assists for eight total points
• Sophomore Aaliyah Wilson-Falcone (Winthrop, Maine) has emerged as an offensive weapon this fall and has tallied three goals and three assists for nine points this season

Elms:

• Senior forward Morgan Foucault (Putnam, Conn.) leads the Blazers with 15 points (5G, 5A) and four game-winners
• Freshman midfielder Kelly Malheiro (Centereach, N.Y.) is second on the side with 13 points off five goals and three assists
• Junior midfielder Elaina Vilar (Watertown, Conn.) has scored five goals with a pair of assists for 12 total points

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's senior Adia Grogan (Kennebunk, Maine) is having another outstanding season with a 1.09 goals against average and six shutouts in 17 starts this fall. The 2019 GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year has posted a career-high 122 saves and allowed just 16 goals in 1,325 minutes for a conference-leading .884 save percentage. Grogan also ranks second in the GNAC in wins (10), shutouts, and saves and fourth in minutes.

Elms features a trio of sophomore netminders in Angela Picheo (Wood-Ridge, N.J.), Hannah DelGuidice (Oakland, Maine), and Gianna Liquori (East Longmeadow, Mass.). Picheo leads the team in minutes (900), goals against average (0.80), save percentage (.837), wins (5), and shutouts (5) and has started in three of the Blazers' last five contests.

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Jenelle Harris, now in her ninth season at the helm, is 96-51-10 (.612) overall with a 63-24-6 (.677) record in conference play as the Monks' skipper. The three-time GNAC Coach of the Year honoree guided the Monks to conference championship appearances in 2018 and 2019 with the program's first-ever GNAC title in 2018.

Elms Head Coach Sean Milbier is in his eighth year as the Blazers' leader and has registered a 91-47-12 career record. (.607) In 2016, he led the Blazers to a NECC Championship and was crowned as the NECC Coach of the Year.

THE LAST TIME WE MET (BOX):

Saint Joseph's defeated Elms College by a 5-1 score at the SJC Athletics Complex on Saturday, September 11th. Junior Madison Michaud (Presque Isle, Maine) led the offensive attack with three goals and an assist while Wilson-Falcone added a goal and a helper and Mattos also scored in the triumph.

Grogan made four saves in 64 minutes in goal and sophomore Carly Downey (Yarmouth, Maine) turned away one shot in 26 minutes of relief. Saint Joseph's held the lead in shots (16-7), shots on goal (13-6), and corner kicks (5-2) in the victory.

For the Blazers, DelGuidice made eight saves with five goals allowed and Abby Goodnow (Chesterfield, Mass.) scored the lone Elms tally in the 65th minute.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

This fall's meeting between SJC and Elms was the first in the history of the institutions' women's soccer programs. A former member of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC), Elms is a first-year participant in the GNAC this fall.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Monks have advanced to the GNAC postseason in 13 of 14 seasons and have played in the semifinal round on five occasions, including 2019 when St. Joe's tipped Emmanuel College, 2-1, before falling in the GNAC Championship at Johnson & Wales by a 2-1 margin.

Saturday's quarterfinal appearance will be the first GNAC Tournament trip for Elms College.