WATERVILLE, ME – Freshman Amanda Celata (Dedham, Mass.) scored two goals in the first eight minutes of play to lift Saint Joseph's (7-4, 4-2 NAC) past Thomas College (4-8, 2-4 NAC), 2-0, in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) field hockey contest on Saturday afternoon.
Celata put the Monks on the board just 4:41 after the opening whistle, scoring from the left off a Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.) to provide the Royal Blue with an early 1-0 advantage. Celata pushed a shot past Terriers keeper Jasmine Bishop (Waterville, Maine) just over three minutes later to collect her second two-goal effort of the season. Fellow frosh Meghan Williams (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas), who set up the score with a cross pass, was credited with an assist on the play.
SJC netminder Taylor Allison (Pawtucket, R.I.) made four saves to record her fifth shutout of the season. Thomas keeper Sofia Sourgiadakis (Littleton, N.H.) replaced Bishop in the cage following Celata's second marker and tallied four saves in a losing effort.
The Monks held an 8-5 advantage in shots and an 8-6 lead in penalty corners on the afternoon. With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 15-9 in the history of the series with Thomas College and has now defeated the Terriers in seven consecutive meetings dating back to the 2007 season.
Saint Joseph's resumes play on Tuesday with a non-conference contest versus Salem State at Mercy Field. Opening face-off is slated for 3:00 PM. Thomas plays at Colby-Sawyer at 12:00 PM next Saturday.
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.
