STANDISH, Maine – #4 Saint Joseph's College (9-6-3, 6-2-3 GNAC) will host #5 Simmons College (8-8-2, 7-4-0 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal game at 1:00 PM on Sunday.

OVERVIEW:

Sunday's winner advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC tourney and will face the victor of the #8 University of Saint Joseph / #1 Lasell College quarterfinal on Wednesday.

The other arm of the bracket features quarterfinal contests between #2 Johnson & Wales University and #7 Suffolk University and #3 Albertus Magnus College versus #6 Emmanuel College.

The winner of the GNAC Championship game, set to be played on Saturday, November 5th, earns an automatic berth into the 2016 NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Championship, which begins on November 12th.

FACTS & FIGURES:

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks rank second in the conference in shots per game (20.2), third in shots (363) and shots on goal (190), fourth in assists (32) and total points (110), and fifth in goals (39) and goals against average (1.76)
• Saint Joseph's is 5-1-1 at Westerlea Way Field this fall with the Monks' only loss being a season-opening 6-1 setback at the hands of University of New England on September 1st
• The Monks have outscored opponents by an 18-7 margin at Westerlea Way and have not allowed a foe to score on the campus turf since the team defeated Thomas College by a 3-1 margin on September 7th
• St. Joe's has pitched five-consecutive shutouts at Westerlea Way

Simmons:

• The Sharks lead the GNAC in shot-on-goal percentage (.637) and rank third in shutouts (7) and goals against average (1.08), fourth in shot percentage (.127) and shots on goal (181), and fifth in corner kicks (84)
• Simmons is 3-4-0 in road games this fall but has played away from their home turf, Daly Field, just twice in the last month (5-0 win over Mount Ida, 10/10 & 3-0 win over USJ, 10/22)
• The Sharks played Eastern Connecticut in a tourney tune-up on Wednesday and, despite being outshot by a 24-8 margin, allowed just one goal in a setback at the hands of the Warriors

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Sophomore forward Haley DaGraca (Saco, Maine) is in the midst of one of the finest offensive seasons ever recorded by an SJC player, as the second-year standout ranks second in the conference in goals (18), third in points (39), and fourth in game-winning goals (4); her 2016 goal tally ranks as the second-most in a single season in SJC women's soccer history
• Junior midfielder Sarah Comtois (Lowell, Mass.) has played in a variety of roles this fall, including that of a scoring threat with six goals and 16 total points with both numbers ranking second on the squad
• Sophomore Colleen Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) has followed up a strong freshman campaign with three goals and six assists (third-highest total in the GNAC) for 12 total points
• Senior Desiree Parent (Westborough, Mass.) has been a consistent contributor during her career with 14 goals and seven assists for 35 total points over 68 contests – including three goals and two helpers in 14 games this fall

Simmons:

• Junior forward Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.), a 2015 Second Team All-GNAC selection, leads the Sharks with seven goals, seven assists, and 21 total points 
• Sophomore midfielder Ciara Forde (Quincy, Mass.) has netted six goals with four helpers for 16 total points
• Freshman forward Rachel Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) is tied for the team lead with seven goals and has tallied 16 points
• Junior forward Gabrielle Klane (Franklin, Mass.) has contributed five goals and four assists for 14 total points

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's: Junior Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.) is enjoying a fine season with a 1.47 goals against average and a .767 save percentage with 79 saves in 1,474 minutes between the pipes. The 2014 All-Conference honoree ranks among the Monks' career leaders in games (51), minutes (4,021), goals against average (1.50), saves (248), wins (22), and shutouts (9).

Simmons: Junior Casey Halle (Watertown, Mass.) has played well in her first year as a starter for the Sharks and ranks third in the conference in goals against average (1.21), fourth in save percentage (.818), and fifth in shutouts (4).

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Jenelle Harris, now in her fourth season at the helm, is 41-29-6 (.586) overall with a 26-14-4 (.650) record in conference play as the Monks' clipboard carrier. In her first season (2013), Harris guided the Monks to a 15-3-1 mark, including a 9-2-0 GNAC record, en route to being selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year.

Simmons Head Coach Erica Schuling, now in her 11th season, has led the Sharks to an 89-100-18 (.471) record and has been selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year twice (2009, 2014) during her career. The longtime skipper has guided her program to the GNAC Tournament in nine of her 11 seasons, including 2009 when the Sharks claimed the GNAC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

St. Joe's blanked Simmons, 2-0, at Westerlea Way Field on September 24th as DaGraca and junior midfielder Lauren Stiles (Gorham, Maine) scored a goal apiece and Troup made four stops in a shutout performance. The GNAC rivals proved to be quite evenly matched, as the Monks held a slim 13-12 lead in shots while the Sharks sported a 2-1 corner kicks advantage that day.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Simmons and Saint Joseph's have literally played dead even in the 11-game history of the series, as both teams have won five games and the sided played to a deadlock in 2009. The Monks have outscored the Sharks by a collective 16-12 score over the 11 meetings.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Monks have advanced to the GNAC postseason in nine of 10 seasons but are looking for the program's first tournament victory since the Royal Blue defeated Norwich University in a 2009 GNAC quarterfinal. Sunday marks the Monks' first home tournament tilt since 2013.

Saint Joseph's has seemingly fallen on the wrong side of lady luck in postseason play, as the Monks have suffered a pair of shootout setbacks and two overtime losses – including last season's 3-2 OT setback at Johnson & Wales - since joining the GNAC in 2007.

The Sharks will be making their eighth GNAC tourney appearance in the last 10 years when facing the Monks on Sunday. Simmons last won a postseason contest in 2013 with a PK victory in quarterfinal play over Albertus Magnus and have advanced to the GNAC Championship twice in the last six years, falling to Lasell, 2-0, in 2012 and topping Emmanuel, 2-1 in double-OT, in 2009.

Simmons and Saint Joseph's have met once in the postseason: the fifth-seeded Sharks upset the top-seeded Monks, 1-0, in a 2009 GNAC Tournament semifinal (11/4/09). 

#GOMONKS

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.