Click here to read original article, written by New England Soccer Journal Staff Writer Phil Shore

For the first time in the history of both programs, Saint Joseph's College of Maine will square up against Eastern Connecticut State University on Wednesday.

It will be quite the introduction as these non-conference opponents both come into this game in impressive form.

The Saint Joseph's Monks (7-2-1, 3-0-0 GNAC) have rattled off seven consecutive victories, while the Warriors (6-1-1, 2-0-0 LEC) have won six straight games.

"I think as of late everybody is just getting on the same page," said Steve Babineau, head coach at Saint Joseph's. "The major key is we've got some players that were able to make an impact right away that helps us in our attack. That has significantly been improved from last year."

During Eastern Connecticut's streak, the Warriors have won five games decided by only a single goal and have five shutouts. They have scored 15 goals by 11 different players.  Five different players are credited with game-winning goals, led by two from freshman Nicholas Warren (Southbury, Conn.), against Bridgewater State and in overtime against Western Connecticut.

Freshman goalie Greg Walton (Brunswick, Maine) has all five of those shutouts while posting an .800 save percentage and 0.63 goals-against average.

The Monks had a tall order to start the season with, going up against Roger Williams and two teams that played in the 2012 NCAA tournament: Salve Regina and Thomas College. Since going 0-2-1 in those contests, however, they have outscored their opponents 17-2 in their past seven games and have five shutouts. Senior midfielder Kyle Shangraw (Westbrook, Maine) leads the team with eight goals to go with three assists.

As was the case against the tough competition the Monks started the season with, they may not get the result they are looking for against Eastern Connecticut. Like before, however, Babineau is looking forward to seeing how his team stacks up against tough competition.

"We feel (Eastern Connecticut is) going to be an NCAA tournament team. Now we're back to measuring where we are against top elite opponents," he said. "We just look forward to the opportunity to play against a high-level team. This game falls right where we need it to be. We always tell each other we haven't done anything yet. Eastern Connecticut will be a good test." 

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 430-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.