STANDISH, Maine – #2 Johnson & Wales University (15-3, 10-1 GNAC) will host #3 Saint Joseph's College (14-4, 9-2 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Tournament Semifinal game today at 4:00 PM.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Saint Joseph's defeated #6 Lasell University, 4-0, in a GNAC quarterfinal at home on Saturday as Alexa Gutowski (Conway, N.H), Abbie Jacques (Mount Vernon, Maine), and two goals from Emma Rutledge (Alfred, Maine.) The Monks scored 2 goals in the 2nd quarter and 2 goals in the 3rd. Goalkeeper Kassidy Collins notched 3 saves, and junior midfielder Aimee Adams assisted two of the Monks' goals. The Monks also outshot the Lasers 25-4

#2 Johnson and Wales University defeated #7 Rivier University, 4-0, in GNAC quarterfinal action at JWU on Saturday. Outshooting the Raiders 26-2, the Wildcats took an early lead in the first with a goal from Hailey Schneider. Katie Sloan, Margaret Johnson, and Izzy Ward also scored in the commanding victory.

BRACKETOLOGY:

10/30/21 - GNAC QUARTERFINALS:

#1 Colby Sawyer def. #8 Anna Maria, 1-0 (OT)

#2 Johnson and Wales def. #7 Rivier, 4-0

#3 Saint Joseph's def. #6 Lasell, 4-0

#5 Elms def. #4 Simmons, 2-1 (2OT)

11/3/21 – GNAC SEMIFINALS:

#5 Elms @ #1 Colby Sawyer, 3:00 PM

#3 Saint Joseph's @ #2 Johnson and Wales, 4:00 PM

11/6/21 – GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP

5/#1 winner vs. #3/#2 winner @ highest remaining seed, TBD

FACTS & FIGURES:

Saint Joseph's:

• Saint Joseph's saw a 25-game regular season winning streak versus GNAC opponents come to an end with a 2-1 setback at the hands of Simmons University on October 20th; previously, the last loss to a conference opponent was a 2-1 defeat to Lasell on October 7th, 2017
• Entering the playoffs, St. Joe's leads the conference in shots (443), shots on goal (277), shots per game (26.1), assists (42), penalty corners (290), and goals against average (1.12)
• The Monks average 3.9 goals on 26.1 shots per game while allowing 1.12 goals per contest
• Saint Joseph's is 6-3 on the road this fall with the only conference loss coming from Johnson and Wales.

Johnson and Wales:

• The Wildcats are entering today's contest on a 13-game win streak, with an 11-1 overall record at home.
• Entering the playoffs, Johnson and Wales leads the conference in goals scored (79) and are second in both shots on goal (242) and assists. (43)
• The Wildcats average 4.4 goals on 19.4.1 shots per game while allowing 1.38 goals per contest
• In their last three games, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents by a combined 20-0 margin

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Senior forward Emma Rutledge (Alfred, Maine) leads the Monks in goals (19), assists (10), points (48), shots (84), shots on goal (64), and game-winning goals (4) and currently ranks second in the GNAC in goals, assists, points, and GWG; the senior standout also ranks among the NCAA DIII active leaders in points (135, 8th) and goals (49, 9th)
• Junior forward Megan Quirion (Oakland, Maine) is second on the team in goals (10) and points (20)
• Senior forward Olivia Esposito (North Reading, Mass.) has enjoyed a breakout season with seven goals and five assists for 19 points
• Freshman forward Abbie Jacques (Mount Vernon, Maine) has netted 16 points with seven goals and two assists this fall

Johnson and Wales:

• Senior forward Jillian Miele (Wilmington, Mass.) leads the GNAC in goals scored (24), assists (12), points (60)
• Junior Margaret Johnson (Bear, Del.) is second on the team in goals scored (13) and points (30)
• Freshman Mya Bolk senior McKayla Weaver have contributed 19 points apiece

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's first-year keeper Kassidy Collins (Gardiner, Maine) leads the conference in goals against average (1.04) and fewest goals allowed (12) and sports a .700 save percentage with 28 saves in 690 minutes of play.

JWU junior Madison Flaxington (Lincoln, R.I) is third in the GNAC for goals against (23) and goals against average (1.49) In the past 3 games, she has played 135 minutes allowing zero goals to Rivier, Dean, and Albertus Magnus.

ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Rupert Lewis, in his 17th season as the Monks' skipper, is 206-97 (.680) with a 46-5 (.902) record in GNAC play over the last eight seasons. Under his watch the Monks have won four-consecutive GNAC Championships (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) with four NCAA Tournament appearances. With a 3-0 win over Lasell on October 2nd, Lewis notched his 200th career victory. He is one of just 13 active NCAA DIII Field Hockey coaches in New England to hit the plateau.

Lisa Lopes, now in her second season as the head coach of the Johnson & Wales field hockey team, was previously an associate head coach at Providence College. She spent nine years there, notching 83 victories. Before her impressive career with the Friars, Lopes was an assistant at the University of Miami (OH), a grad assistant at Wilkes University, and previously worked for the USA Field Hockey Futures Program for six years.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

Saint Joseph's fell to the Wildcats in a tough 2-1 loss at JWU on October 23rd. Both JWU goals came in the first quarter from Claire Decker and Margaret Johnson. For the Monks, Megan Quirion was able to get her team on the board with a goal in the fourth. Despite the defeat, the Monks outshot the Wildcats 11-7 and led in penalty corners, 17-6.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is 6-2 all-time versus Johnson & Wales University and has outscored the Wildcats by a combined 25-7 margin in the history of the series.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Monks, winners of the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 conference crowns, have never missed the postseason in 13 years as a member of a conference and will be playing in a conference semifinal game for the eighth-consecutive season. Overall, St. Joe's is 17-8 in tournament play.

The Wildcats are 4-5 all-time in GNAC postseason play and will be making their fourth semifinal appearance in the eight-year history of the JWU field hockey program this afternoon.