Records:
Emmanuel Saints (8-1-1, 4-1 GNAC)
Saint Joseph's Monks (4-5, 4-1 GNAC)
Location: Boston, Mass. – Clemente Field
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022
THE LEAD – For the second straight contest, first year forward Sarah Dullaghan (Belmont, Mass.) was the lone goal-scorer to lift the Emmanuel College women's soccer team past Saint Joseph's College (ME) by a 1-0 final at Roberto Clemente Field in a key Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) showdown.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Neither side had a solid scoring chance in the opening half despite the Saints outshooting the Monks by a 5-3 margin. Each squad's best look in the stanza was the result of a corner kick but the Saints attempt sailed over the bar while the Monks were unable to get a shot off late in the half even with a scrum in front of the net.
- The Saints came out as the aggressor in the second half, pressing the SJC backline and creating several chances early on but it wasn't until the 65th minute when Dullaghan netted her team-leading eighth goal of the season for the game-winner. First year Liz McCormick (Cumberland, R.I.) got free in a wide area deep in the Monks territory and sent a left footed cross towards the back post. Dullaghan ran onto the ball and finished it off to put the hosts on top, 1-0, with 24:51 left to play in the match.
- The Monks best chance of the night came immediately after the EC goal as first year midfielder Kate Russell (Kennebunk, Maine) was open at the top of the box, firing a right-footed strike towards goal that was blocked by an EC defender before it could make it to frame.
- The Saints slowed down the pace of play over the final 15 minutes, possessing the ball to eat up the clock with the one-goal lead.
- With under a minute to play, Emmanuel committed a foul just inside midfield to give the visitors one final chance to net the equalizer. Junior back Darcy Wright (Salem, N.H.) played a long ball into the box on the restart but the Saints were able to clear it away to hold on for the 1-0 GNAC victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- The Saints ended the match with a 13-7 advantage on shot and led in corner kick attempts, 7-3.
- EC first year goalkeeper Patricia Kirejczyk (Ansonia, Conn.) kept her perfect record in goal, making a pair of saves to move to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in GNAC play.
- Junior keeper Carly Downey (Yarmouth, Maine) suffered the loss despite a six-save outing to fall to 4-5 and 4-1 in GNAC action.
- Dullaghan has now scored in all five GNAC contests on the year, notching the game-winner in each of the last two.
- The shutout for the Saints defensive unit was their seventh of the season to lead the GNAC and rank in the Top-20 among NCAA Division III programs this season.
- EC improves to 12-7 all-time vs. Saint Joseph's and ups their record at Clemente Field vs. the Monks to 8-3 in 11 career meetings in Boston.
UP NEXT
Both teams return to action on Saturday, October 1 for more GNAC action. The Saints head to Northfield, Vt. for a 5:00 PM contest at Norwich University while SJC play host to Johnson & Wales University at 1:30 PM in Standish, Maine.
COURTESY OF EMMANUEL COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
