STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (4-4-1, 2-2-0 GNAC) tipped Emerson College (2-5-0, 0-2-0 GNAC), 2-1, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer match at Westerlea Way Field on Saturday afternoon.
With the game tied 1-1 and the clock winding down towards extra play, Zach Johnson (Westbrook, Maine) netted what proved to be the game-winner off a Ross Suleski (Amesbury, Mass./St. Thomas Aquinas) crossing pass with 5:12 remaining. After a slow start to the season, St. Joe's seems to have found its stride and has now won three consecutive games.
Senior captain Teddy Palmer (Scarborough, Maine) started the game scoring when he tallied his third goal of the year just 4:06 after the opening whistle. Jack LaFreniere (Alton, N.H.) started the play with a well-placed throw-in that landed in the box. Emerson keeper Carter Bowers (Gorham, Maine) quickly collected the ball, but lost it when he collided with a defender and Palmer was in the right place to kick the sphere into a wide open net.
The 1-0 edge remained until the 63rd minute when Jon Havens (Williamsport, Penn.) knocked in a pass from Alex Sypsomos (Bangkok, Thailand) to knot the game at one-apiece. Sypsomos, unchecked at midfield, was found with an easy pass, dribbled down the right side of the field, and delivered a right to left crossing pass to Havens, who one-timed a kick past SJC netminder Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho).
The Monks mimicked the Lions' goal just over 22 minutes later when Suleski broke free on the right side and dished a perfect right to left feed to Johnson, who toed the ball past Bowers for the game-clincher.
Benner made four saves to earn his third career win and second GNAC triumph of the year. Bowers recorded six stops in a losing effort for the Lions. Saint Joseph's held a 16-10 advantage in shots and a 4-1 lead in corner kicks while being out-flagged by Emerson by an 8-7 margin on the afternoon.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 7-0 in the history of the series with Emerson College. The Monks have outscored the Lions by a 17-4 tally in seven meetings dating back to the 2007 campaign.
Saint Joseph's hosts Suffolk University in a conference matchup on Wednesday at 3:30 PM, while Emerson plays at GNAC-rival Johnson & Wales University on Tuesday at 4:30 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.
