STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (9-6, 5-3-1 GNAC) blanked University of Maine-Presque Isle (6-9), 3-0, in a non-conference men's soccer contest at Westerlea Way Field on Sunday afternoon. Junior forward Zach Johnson (Westbrook, Maine) produced a goal and an assist in the victory.
Johnson netted the eventual winner, his fifth clincher of the season, in the 22nd minute off a rebound on a Fabrice Iraduha (Portland, Maine) shot. Junior Calvin Servaes (Hull, Mass.) doubled the hosts' cushion with his second goal of the year 15 minutes later, with Johnson earning an assist on the play, and Alex Day (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) scored off an Iraduha helper at the 66:57 mark to account for the 3-0 final.
For Johnson, the game-winner was the 13th of his SJC career, a total that ties Doug MacCallum '10 for the most clinching markers in the 23-year history of the men's soccer program.
Freshman keeper Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho) earned the starting nod and made one save in the first half, while junior Kenny Grade (Hampton, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) tallied three stops in 45 minutes of mop-up duty. Owls junior Josh MacKinnon (Lismore, Nova Scotia) posted six saves in a losing effort.
Saint Joseph's held considerable advantages in shots (32-4), shots on goal (9-4) and corner kicks (7-1) on the afternoon. With the triumph, St. Joe's improves to 11-10-1 in the history of the series with Presque Isle, a side the Monks had not faced since the 2007 campaign prior to today's match.
The Monks have won five straight games for just the fourth time in team history and the second time under the watch of fourth-year Head Coach Steve Babineau.
St. Joe's, 5-1 during the month of October, has only one regular-season game remaining: an important home contest versus GNAC-rival Lasell College at 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 20th. Presque Isle plays at Maine-Machias on Wednesday at 3:00 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.
