STANDISH, Maine – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (13-4-1, 11-1-0 GNAC) will host #4 University of Saint Joseph (11-3-3, 7-2-3 GNAC) in a 2022 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Soccer Tournament Semifinal tonight at 6:00 PM.
BRACKETOLOGY:
Quarterfinals - Saturday, October 29
#1 Saint Joseph's def. #8 Anna Maria, 4-0
#4 Saint Joseph (CT) def. #5 Albertus Magnus, 3-2 (2OT)
#6 Emmanuel def. #3 Norwich, 1-1 (PK away)
#2 JWU def. #7 Lasell, 2-1
Semifinals - Wednesday, November 2
#4 Saint Joseph (CT) at #1 Saint Joseph's, 6:00 PM
#6 Emmanuel at #2 JWU, 7:00 PM
Championship - Saturday, November 5
Final at highest remaining seed
TEAM STATISTICS IN GNAC PLAY:
RANDOM FACTS:
- Saint Joseph's is 8-1-0 at home while University of Saint Joseph is 3-1-2 on the road this fall
- The Monks are 5-1-0 while the Blue Jays are 3-1-2 in their last six games
- St. Joe's is 5-0-0 all-time versus University of Saint Joseph
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Saint Joseph's:
- Grad student forward Austin Ward (Exeter, N.H.) has scored 16 goals with five assists for 37 points; he currently ranks second in the conference in goals, points, and game-winners (4)
- Sophomore Gus Ford (Falmouth, Maine) has tallied seven goals and two assists for 16 total points
- Sophomore Rion Dos Santos (São Paulo, Brazil) and freshman Ethan Emata (Nashua, N.H.) have netted three goals apiece this fall
University of Saint Joseph:
- Senior forward Benjamin Marchetti (Higganum, Conn.) leads the Blue Jays in goals (12) and points (27)
- Grad student DeAnte Anderson (Bloomfield, Conn.) has scored 10 goals with six assists for 26 total points
- Junior Dane Stephens (Jamaica) has contributed 22 points with seven goals and eight assists
KEEPER COMPARISON:
- SJC senior Mike Sheridan (Folsom, Pa.) ranks second in the conference in wins (12), minutes (1504) and fewest goals allowed (12) and is third in goals against average (0.72), fifth in shutouts (5), and sixth in save percentage (.786). In GNAC play, Sheridan has allowed just four goals and sports conference bests in GAA (0.37) and SV% (.857).
- USJ junior keeper Jose Miguel Garcia Martin (Madrid, Spain) is 8-3-2 with four shutouts and a goals against average of 1.68 this fall. He sports a .691 save percentage with 21 goals allowed and 47 saves over 1128 minutes in net.
THE SKIPPERS:
Saint Joseph's: Will Pike – 4th season – 45-8-6 (.763)
University of Saint Joseph: Paul Wright – 5th season – 43-19-7 (.623)
THE LAST TIME WE MET:
The Monks blanked the Blue Jays, 3-0, at the SJC Athletics Complex on October 1st when Ward and Michael Wildes (Winslow, Maine) scored a goal apiece and Sheridan turned away three shots in the victory. Saint Joseph's held the lead in shots (18-11), shots on goal (9-3), and corner kicks (4-2) that afternoon.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Saint Joseph's improved to 5-0-0 all-time versus University of Saint Joseph with the October 1st triumph and has outscored the Blue Jays by a 16-1 collective margin in the five meetings.
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 23-8 in GNAC postseason play with GNAC Championships in 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
The Blue Jays have competed in the GNAC Tournament in each of the last four seasons and are appearing in a conference semifinal for the third year in a row. Last fall, USJ toppled Albertus Magnus College, 4-0, in quarterfinal action and fell to the Monks by a 3-1 score in a semifinal three days later.
