SAINTS SHUTOUT AMCATS ON SENIOR DAY

BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Men's Soccer Team scored three goals in the second half and topped Anna Maria College, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon.  The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) game was played on Roberto Clemente Field, as the Saints moved to 4-9-2 overall and 3-6 in GNAC play, while the AMcats fell to 2-11 on the year and 0-8-1 in the league.

The Saints' final home game of the regular season marked senior day and the five seniors on the Emmanuel squad, including Pawel Samolewicz (Chicopee, Mass.), Jorden LaPorte (Lisbon, Conn.), Andres Rocha (West Orange, N.J.), Jeremy Scanlon (Belmont, Mass.) and Kevin Shirley (Madison, Conn.), were honored prior to the start of the game.

Emmanuel dominated play for much of the first half.  Despite out-shooting the AMcats, 12-1, in the opening frame, the Saints could not seem to get on the scoreboard.  The half was played scoreless and the two teams entered halftime knotted at 0-0.

The second half opened with more scoreless action.  It was not until the 70th minute that Emmanuel netted its first score of the three-goal contest.  Two seniors combined for the marker on the play.  Andres Rocha (West Orange, N.J.) sent a nice pass across the middle to Jeremy Scanlon (Belmont, Mass.). Scanlon then drilled the ball from over 30 yards out into the top of the Anna Maria net, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.

Sophomore forward James Carroll (Guilford, Conn.) would give the hosts an insurance goal just two minutes later.  Carroll scored unassisted at 71:37 for his third goal of the season and the Saints held a 2-0 edge.

After an AMcat foul in the box, senior defender Pawel Samolewicz (Chicopee, Mass.) was awarded a penalty kick.  Samolewicz's original shot was deflected by AMcat keeper Andrew Dahl (Marlton, N.J.), but he was there for the rebound and rifled his second shot past Dahl for his first goal of the season and second in a Saints uniform.

Emmanuel came away with the 3-0 win and finished the night with 29-6 margin in shots and a 6-0 advantage in corner kick opportunities.

Dahl took the loss for the AMcats, but made 4 saves in the effort.  Freshman keeper James Withers (East Taunton, Mass.) picked up his first collegiate career shutout win and made 1 save for the Saints.

Emmanuel will play again next Wednesday, when the Saints travel to Clark University for a 6:00 PM start.  Anna Maria is also back in action on Wednesday, when they travel to Emerson for a 5:30 PM start with the Lions.

The following is a portion of the script that was read during Saturday's senior day pre-game ceremony.

Pawel Samolewicz … has been a starter as the Saints' central defender for the past two seasons, after transferring to Emmanuel in 2011.  Pawel has played in 33 games and started in 31 of them. He was a huge factor in Emmanuel's 9 shut-outs over the past two years and record-breaking campaign in 2011.  Samolewicz was named the team MVP as a junior and a GNAC 2nd Team All-Conference selection.

Jorden LaPorte … has been a four year player for the Saints, racking up a total of 42 games played and 27 starts for Emmanuel.  Jorden was named the team's Most Improved Player in 2009, as a freshman. LaPorte has been a significant contributor to the Saints' backline over the past four years.

Andres Rocha … has been a four year player for the Saints, having suited up in 59 total games…ranking him 6th in career games played.  Rocha was
named to the GNAC Weekly Honor Roll twice during 2010 and 2011 and he is a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference selection.  He is also tied for 6th in career game-winning goals.

Jeremy Scanlon … has been a four year player and starter for the Saints, playing in a total of 62 games, which ranks him 3rd all-time in total games played for Emmanuel.  Scanlon is tied for 6th in career game-winning goals and tied for 9th all-time in assists.  Jeremy was named the team's Unsung Hero in 2009, as a freshman. He is a three-time GNAC Academic All-Conference selection.

Kevin Shirley…has played and started in more games than any other player in Saints men's soccer program history. Shirley has played in 68 games and started in 62 of them. He has scored 26 career goals and is currently the program's 2nd all-time leading scorer, two goals shy of tying the all-time record. He is also ranked 2nd all-time in assists, total points, and career game-winning goals. Shirley has been honored by the GNAC several times over his four-year career, including being named All-Conference in 2010, making history as Emmanuel's first-ever All-GNAC men's soccer selection.