STANDISH, ME – Senior captain Teddy Palmer (Scarborough, Maine) scored just 1:29 into overtime to push Saint Joseph's (7-6-4-3-1 GNAC) past Endicott College (7-6-2, 2-2-1 CCC), 1-0, in a rainy non-conference men's soccer match at Westerlea Way Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Scoreless after 90 minutes of regulation play, St. Joe's battled the Gulls in what would be the Monks' seventh overtime experience of the 2012 campaign. The extra frame was cut short when Palmer finished a perfect right-to-left cross from senior Alex Day (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) with a one-touch kick to the bottom right corner of the net.
For Saint Joseph's, the win is the first in seven contests versus Endicott, which entered the day having won two straight games by a combined 10-4 score.
Day, who threaded the needle in traffic with a ground-hugging pass to Palmer to assist on the winner, nearly netted the clincher himself a minute earlier, as the forward had a nice look streaking toward the right post but his kick caromed off the crossbar.
Despite steadily deteriorating field conditions due to intermittent rainfall, the sides tallied a combined total of 37 shots and a handful of prime scoring opportunities, including several during a short span of rapid back and forth play midway through the second half.
Endicott freshman Zach Rizzo (Redding, Conn.) had one of the best scoring chances of the afternoon at the 59:06 mark, when the forward had an open look at a vacant net but his shot trickled wide to the left. On the Monks' next trip downfield, Palmer unleashed a shot to the right corner of the net from about 20 yards out, but Endicott keeper Austin Peluso (Farmington, Conn.) dove to his left and punched the ball just past the right post to preserve the 0-0 score.
SJC freshman keeper Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho) made four saves to notch his 3rd shutout of the season while Peluso tallied six stops in a losing effort. The Monks held a 20-17 advantage in shots and both clubs took four corner kicks in the hard-fought contest.
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 3-2-2 in overtime games this fall.
Both teams return to action Saturday with road games versus opponents from their respective conferences. St. Joe's plays at Rivier University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contest at 1:00 PM, while Endicott travels to Western New England for a Commonwealth Coast Conference tilt slated to start at 11:00 AM.
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.
