STANDISH, Maine – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (15-1-2, 12-0-0 GNAC) will host #2 Norwich University (14-2-1, 10-1-0 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) in the 2021 Men's Soccer Tournament Championship at the SJC Athletics Complex on Saturday at 1:00 PM.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

The Monks advanced to the GNAC Championship game for the fifth-consecutive season after blanking #8 Colby-Sawyer College, 3-0, in the quarterfinal round and tipping #5 University of Saint Joseph, 3-1, in semifinal action on Wednesday.

Norwich narrowly escaped elimination in the first round of the tournament, as #7 Emmanuel College and the Cadets were tied 3-3 after regulation and a pair of overtime frames. The Cadets prevailed in PK's however and went on to thump #3 Johnson & Wales, 6-0, in the semifinal round.

BRACKETOLOGY:

10/30/21 - GNAC QUARTERFINALS:

#1 Saint Joseph's def. #8 Colby-Sawyer, 3-0
#2 Norwich def. #7 Emmanuel, 3-3 (5-4 in PK's)
#3 Johnson & Wales def. #6 Regis, 4-0
#5 University of Saint Joseph def. #4 Albertus Magnus, 4-0

11/2/21 – GNAC SEMIFINALS:

#1 Saint Joseph's def. #5 University of Saint Joseph, 3-1
#2 Norwich def. #3 Johnson & Wales, 6-0

11/6/21 – GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP

#2 Norwich @ #1 Saint Joseph's, 1:00 PM

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Saint Joseph's:

• The Monks have been ranked seventh in the United Soccer Coaches Region 1 Poll for five-consecutive weeks and are listed eighth in the most recent NCAA DIII Region 1 Rankings
• Through 18 contests, Saint Joseph's has outscored opponents by a combined 44-12 score with nine shutouts; in GNAC play, the Monks netted 33 goals while allowing just four in 12 games
• With their triumph over Dean College in the season finale, the Monks extended their GNAC regular-season undefeated streak to 54 games (50-0-4)
• St. Joe's is 39-1-2 (.929) with 32 shutouts all-time at the SJC Athletics Complex
• The Monks currently rank second in the conference in goals against average (0.64), shutouts (9) and assists (41) and third in shots (321), goals scored (44), shots per game (17.8), shots on goal (147), and corner kicks (108)

Norwich:

• Norwich, ranked fifth in this week's United Soccer Coaches Region 1 Poll, averages 3.82 goals on 25.1 shots per game while allowing 0.64 goals per contest
• The Cadets are a perfect 6-0-0 on the road this season
• Norwich currently leads the GNAC in shots (426), goals (65), shots per game (25.1), shots on goal (218), assists (45), corner kicks (127), shutouts (10), and goals against average (0.64)
• The Cadets have outscored foes by a 65-11 combined score including a 36-6 margin in GNAC play and a 20-1 composite score in six away games

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Graduate student defender Colin Grant (Harvard, Mass.) leads the team in goals (10), points (26), and game-winning goals (5)
• Senior forward Kuma Onyejose (East Greenwich, R.I.) has netted seven goals with seven assists for 21 total points
• Senior midfielder Austin Ward (North Andover, Mass.) has produced 17 points with six goals and five assists in 16 games
• Graduate defender Noah Elmore (Berlin, Vt.) has contributed with three goals and six assists for 12 points – all three of his goals have counted as game-winners
• Freshman forward Gus Ford (Falmouth, Maine) has emerged as one of the Monks' top offensive threats with five goals and two assists for 12 points

Norwich:

• Junior forward Joseph Thongsythavong (Salem, Mass.), who has scored at least once in each of the Cadets' last 12 contests, is enjoying an incredible season and leads the conference in goals (22), points (51), shots (99), and game-winning goals (7); he also ranks second in NCAA DIII Men's Soccer in shots on goal per game (3.24), third in game winners and points per game (3.00), and fourth in goals and goals per game (1.29)
• Senior forward Amerle Nemeye (Burlington, Vt.) is second on the squad in goals (15) and points (36)
• Freshman Mamadi Jiana (Chicopee, Mass.) has tallied five goals and six assists for 16 total points

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's:

Graduate student David Walbridge (Hampden, Mass.) has picked up right where All-American Blake Mullen '19 left off and is enjoying another fine season as a second-year starter in net for the Monks. Having allowed just 10 goals with 68 saves over 1,428 minutes of play, the 2019 GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year leads the conference in save percentage (.872) and goals against average (0.63).

Among all active NCAA DIII Men's Soccer goalkeepers, Walbridge is ranked third in both career save percentage (.862) and goals against average (0.47).

Norwich:

Junior Robert Wagenseller (Poway, Calif.) is also having an excellent year for the Cadets and ranks second in the conference in goals against average (0.70) and save percentage (.838) and third in fewest goals allowed (11).

ATTITUDE REFLFECTS LEADERSHIP:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Will Pike '11 is in his third season at the helm and currently owns a 31-3-5 (.791) overall record with a 21-0-2 (.913) mark in GNAC play as the SJC skipper. Including three seasons as the Monks' top assistant under former Head Coach Adrian Dubois, Pike has helped St. Joe's post an incredible 86-6-13 (.818) record overall with a 49-0-4 (.925) GNAC slate.

In his first season as the Monks' leader, Coach Pike guided the Royal Blue to a 16-2-3 record with a 9-0-2 mark in GNAC play en route to earning the #2 seed in the conference tourney.

Norwich Head Coach Adam Pfeifer is in his sixth year as the Cadets' skipper and is 62-16-15 (.667) overall with a 37-5-10 (.712) record in GNAC play. Formerly an assistant at Middlebury College for two seasons and Associate Head Coach at Northeastern University, Pfeifer was a four-year starter at Boston College and remains among the Eagles' career scoring leaders.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

In a huge conference contest early in the season, Saint Joseph's tipped Norwich, 1-0, on September 18th in Vermont. Grant scored in the 65th minute off an Onyejose assist and Walbridge made six saves in the shutout triumph.

Despite holding sizeable advantages in shots (19-6) and corner kicks (6-1), the Cadets were unable to punch home the equalizer while applying plenty of offensive pressure in the final 10 minutes. Walbridge made the save of the day at the 84:13 mark when Nemeye drilled a shot to the upper right corner but was denied by the Monks' netminder.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is 11-4-5 all-time versus Norwich University and has not suffered a setback at the hands of the Cadets since the start of the 2015 campaign with a 5-0-4 record versus Norwich in the last six years. Three of those games finished in scoreless ties, including the 2016 GNAC Championship, which saw the Monks advance via PK's.

POSTSEASON HISTORY:

The Monks have advanced to the GNAC Tournament every season since the College joined the conference in the fall of 2007. Saint Joseph's is 21-8 in GNAC postseason play with GNAC Championships in 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Since joining the GNAC in 1999, the Cadets have rattled off 22-consecutive tournament appearances with four conference titles (1999, 2000, 2001, 2008).

The Cadets have advanced to the GNAC semifinal round in each of the last 17 seasons with 12 GNAC Championship appearances, including six in the last nine years. In 22 seasons as a member of the GNAC, Norwich owns an incredible 36-17 (.679) playoff record, including a stellar 34-2 (.944) mark at home. The Cadets are 3-15 (.167) in away tournament games.

Saturday's matchup marks the sixth time in which the Monks and Cadets have faced off in the GNAC Championship. Saint Joseph's is 4-1 in title bout matchups with Norwich, as the Cadets defeated SJC in the 2008 championship, while the Monks prevailed in the 2011, 2016 (via PK's), and 2018 games.