Soccer: Monks Clip Blue Jays and Hat Trick lifts Monks past Blazers

Monks Clip Blue Jays in GNAC Opener, 2-0

BOX: https://gomonks.com/sports/msoc/2021-22/boxscores/20210910_jn17.xml

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. 9/10/21 – Saint Joseph’s College (1-0-1, 1-0-0 GNAC) defeated University of Saint Joseph (2-1-0, 0-1-0 GNAC), 2-0, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men’s soccer action on Friday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
After a scoreless first half, the Monks managed to jump ahead with a lucky bounce in the 61st minute, when a well-placed corner kick off the foot of graduate Colin Grant (Harvard, Mass.) was headed on target by freshman Gus Ford (Falmouth, Maine). The ball bounced off two USJ players and ricocheted into the bottom right corner of the net.

St. Joe’s doubled their lead just over a minute later, when senior Michael Wildes (Winslow, Maine) knocked home a header off another well-executed corner taken by Grant.

The Blue Jays mounted an impressive offensive attack late with a series of three shots in the closing minutes, but the SJC defense proved up to the task to cement the shutout victory.

TEAM STATS:
The Monks held the lead in shots (15-13), shots on goal (8-4), and corner kicks (9-3) in the 2021 conference opener.

THE KEEPERS:
SJC graduate David Walbridge (Hampden, Mass.) made four saves to earn his ninth career shutout while USJ netminder Jose Miguel Garcia Martin turned away six of the eight shots he faced in a losing effort.

9/14/21 – Monks Battle #8 Engineers to 1-1 Deadlock

BOX: https://gomonks.com/sports/msoc/2021-22/boxscores/20210914_h2rz.xml

WORCESTER, Mass. – Saint Joseph’s College (1-0-2) dueled #8 WPI (3-0-1) to a 1-1 double-overtime stalemate in non-conference men’s soccer action on Tuesday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph’s got on the board first in the 16th minute of action. Noah Elmore (Berlin, Vt.) sent a long pass down the right side of the field to an awaiting Gus Ford (Falmouth, Maine) who stayed onside, and beat WPI keeper Ryan Martin (Douglas, Mass.), who left his post to challenge but Ford sent a long shot past him and into the net.

Ford’s goal was the first scored on the Engineers so far this fall, as WPI – ranked eighth nationally in the most recent United Soccer Coaches NCAA DIII Poll – entered tonight’s action having posted clean sheets versus Framingham State (3-0), Brandeis (1-0), and Endicott (2-0).

The game between the New England Region rivals stood at a 1-0 advantage for the Monks until the 84th minute, when Matthew Biando (Duluth, Ga.) received a corner kick feed from Franco Bazzini (San Juan, P.R.) and steered a shot on frame that deflected off a defender’s back and into the netting.

Midway through the second half, Colin Grant (Harvard, Mass.) helped keep the Monks’ 1-0 advantage with a team save in the 69th minute of play.

TEAM STATS:
The two teams matched up fairly even, as the Monks held a slight edge in shots (13-12) and the Engineers recorded an advantage in shots on goal (3-2) and corner kicks (4-2).

THE KEEPERS:
Martin and David Walbridge (Hampden, Mass.) made one save apiece in the deadlock.

Michaud Hat Trick Lifts Monks Past Blazers, 5-1

BOX: https://gomonks.com/sports/wsoc/2021-22/boxscores/20210911_nj4f.xml

STANDISH, Maine 9/11/21  – Junior Madison Michaud (Presque Isle, Maine) netted three goals and assisted on another to lift Saint Joseph’s College (2-2-0, 2-0-0 GNAC) past Elms College (2-2-1, 2-1-0 GNAC), 5-1, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women’s soccer action at the SJC Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Michaud struck first in the 13th minute, when she collected a quick throw in from senior midfielder Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine) on the baseline to the left of the goal, eluded a defender, and slipped a shot past Elms keeper Hannah DelGuidice (Oakland, Maine).

Senior Kayley Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) made it a 2-0 game with her first goal of the season, which was scored at the 24:36 mark. Michaud and freshman Alicen Burnham (Monmouth, Maine) set up the tally with quick passes as Mattos finished with a kick from the top of the box to the upper left corner.

The 2-0 score held until the 48th minute, when Michaud received a pass from Emery inside the box and twisted a shot to the top right corner of the net. The junior sniper struck again 14 minutes later on a setup from sophomore Aaliyah Wilson-Falcone (Winthrop, Maine), who corralled a long goalie kick from Adia Grogan (Kennebunk, Maine) near midfield and flicked on a pass to Michaud, who broke free on a breakaway and completed the hat trick with a shot to the right side of the net.

The Blazers finally found the scoreboard at the 64:12 mark, when Abby Goodnow (Chesterfield, Mass.) took advantage of an SJC defensive breakdown and beat sophomore keeper Carley Downey (Yarmouth, Maine) – who entered the game literally 10 seconds earlier – off a pass from Kelly Malheiro (Centereach, N.Y.).

The Monks capped the scoring in the 69th minute, when Wilson-Falcone hit pay dirt off a perfect left-to-right pass in the box from senior Maddi Cormier (Bangor, Maine).

TEAM STATS:
Saint Joseph’s held the lead in shots (16-7), shots on goal (13-6), and corner kicks (5-2) in the triumph.

THE KEEPERS:
Grogan picked up her second win of the season after posted four saves in 64:08 minutes of shutout play and Downey registered one save in 25:52 minutes of relief. DelGuidice took the loss after allowing five goals while making eight stops over 90 minutes.