STANDISH, Maine – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (12-4-1, 11-1-0 GNAC) will host #8 Anna Maria College (3-10-2, 3-7-2 GNAC) in a 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal at 5:00 PM on Saturday, October 29th.
BRACKETOLOGY:
Quarterfinals - Saturday, October 29
#8 Anna Maria at #1 Saint Joseph's Maine - 5PM
#5 Albertus Magnus at #4 Saint Joseph (CT) - 6PM
#6 Emmanuel at #3 Norwich - 1PM
#7 Lasell at #2 JWU - 2:30PM
Semifinals - Wednesday, November 2
4/5 winner vs 1/8 winner
3/6 winner vs 2/7 winner
Championship - Saturday, November 5
Final at highest remaining seed
TEAM STATISTICS IN GNAC PLAY:
RANDOM FACTS:
- Saint Joseph's is 7-1-0 at home while Anna Maria is 3-3-1 on the road this fall
- The Monks are 5-1-0 while the AMCATS are 2-4-0 in their last six games
- St. Joe's is 11-0 all-time versus Anna Maria College
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Saint Joseph's:
- Grad student forward Austin Ward (Exeter, N.H.) has scored 15 goals with four assists for 34 points; he currently ranks second in the conference in game-winners (4) and third in goals and points
- Sophomore Gus Ford (Falmouth, Maine) has tallied five gaols and two assists for 12 total points
- Sophomore Rion Dos Santos (São Paulo, Brazil) and freshman Ethan Emata (Nashua, N.H.) have netted three goals apiece this fall
Anna Maria:
- Senior forward Hezekiah Adeyeye (Woonsocket, R.I.) has scored seven goals with three assists for 17 points this season
- Senior forward Matthew Pearle (East Wareham, Mass.) and sophomore midfielder Rubelsi Moran (Holden, Mass.) have tallied two goals apiece
KEEPER COMPARISON:
SJC senior Mike Sheridan (Folsom, Pa.) ranks second in the conference in wins (11), third in minutes (1420), goals against average (0.76) and fewest goals allowed (12), fifth in shutouts (5), and sixth in save percentage (.782). In GNAC play, Sheridan sports conference bests in GAA (0.37) and SV% (.857).
Anna Maria graduate goalie Valter Santiago (Norwood, Mass.) is third in the GNAC in saves (82) and sports a .713 save percentage with 33 goals allowed in 1,003 minutes between the pipes.
THE SKIPPERS:
Saint Joseph's: Will Pike – 4th season – 44-8-6 (.759)
Anna Maria: Jacob Pesarcik – 5th season – 12-56-4 (.167)
THE LAST TIME WE MET:
Saint Joseph's blanked Anna Maria, 4-0, on September 21st, 2022 at the SJC Athletics Complex. Junior forward Icaro Vieira (Westborough, Mass.) netted a pair of goals in the victory and Saint Joseph's held the lead in shots (25-7), shots on goal (11-1), and corner kicks (3-2) that evening.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improved to 11-0-0 in the history of the series with Anna Maria College. The Monks have outscored the AMCATS by a 37-2 collective margin in the 11-game set.
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 22-8 in GNAC postseason play with GNAC Championships in 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
Saturday's quarterfinal contest marks the AMCATS' first postseason appearance in 12 seasons as a member of the conference.
