MEN'S SOCCER SET TO FACE TOP-SEEDED SAINT JOSEPH'S IN GNAC QUARTERFINALS

STANDISH, Maine – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (17-0, 11-0 GNAC) will host #8 Emmanuel College (5-10-2, 4-5-2 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal game at the SJC Athletics Complex on Friday at 7:00 PM.

OVERVIEW:

Friday's winner advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC tourney and will face the victor of the #4 Colby-Sawyer College / #5 Albertus Magnus College quarterfinal on Tuesday, October 30th.

The other quarterfinal contests within the conference bracket consist of #2 Johnson & Wales University versus #7 Regis College and #3 Norwich University versus #6 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.). 

The winner of the GNAC Championship game, which will be played on Saturday, November 3rd, earns an automatic berth into the 2018 NCAA DIII Men's Soccer Championship, which begins on Saturday, Nov. 10th.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:

Saint Joseph's:

• In the midst of a historic season, the Monks are currently ranked fifth and 10th in the latest D3soccer.com and United Soccer Coaches national polls, respectively
• Through 17 games, Saint Joseph's has outscored opponents by a collective 73-1 score with a 419-72 shots advantage
• After posting a 19-0-2 record in 2017, the Monks have extended their undefeated streak to 38 games, the longest active streak in NCAA DIII Men's Soccer and the eighth-longest streak in NCAA DIII Men's Soccer history
• Saint Joseph's currently ranks as the NCAA DIII Men's Soccer leader in save percentage (.968), shutout percentage (.941), goals against average (0.056), shots on goal per game (12.47), total goals (73), total points (201), and won-lost-tied percentage (1.000) and ranks second in assists per game (3.24), points per game (11.82), scoring offense (4.29), shots per game (24.65), and total assists (55)
• The Monks are now 25-0-3 in their last 28 home games with the team's last loss being a 2-0 setback at the hands of University of New England on September 4th, 2016; this stretch includes an 18-0-1 record at the SJC Athletics Complex

Emmanuel:

• The Saints enter the GNAC Tournament ranked third in the conference in shot percentage (.160), shots on goal percentage (.556), assists (22), and corner kicks (90)
• Emmanuel averages 1.59 goals per game on 9.9 shots per contest with a 1.59 team goals-against average
• The Saints kick off the tourney on a five-game winless streak with their last victory being a 6-3 triumph over Suffolk University (10/6)
• Emmanuel is 1-5-1 on the road this fall – the Saints' only victory was the aforementioned triumph over Suffolk

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Saint Joseph's:

• Senior forward Brett Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) - the Monks' all-time leader in goals (50), points (122), and game-winners (18) – currently leads the GNAC in goals (11), points (26), and GWG (4)
• Junior midfielder Cody Elliott (Gorham, Maine) leads the conference in assists (14) and ranks third in points (22)
• Junior defender Noah Robinson (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.), who does a bit of everything for the Monks, is tied for the GNAC lead in GWG and has eight goals and 20 total points this fall

Emmanuel:

• Freshman forward Robert Danielian (Watertown, Mass.) leads the Saints in points (11) with five goals and an assist
• Freshman forward Kyle King (Gorham, Maine) is ranked second on the team in points (10) with four goals and two assists
• Junior midfielder Nick Fierro (Katonah, N.Y.) leads the Saints in assists (5) and is third on the team in points (9)

KEEPER COMPARISON:

Saint Joseph's:

Senior Blake Mullen (Manchester, Conn.), a two-time GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year and 2017 D3soccer.com Second Team All-American, currently leads the country in goals-against average (0.071) and save percentage (.957) and is the NCAA Men's Soccer (all levels) active leader, by a wide margin, in career goals-against average (0.252) and is second among active players in save percentage (.905) and shutouts (33).

Sophomore David Walbridge (Hampden, Mass.) has seen increased time in net this fall with 351:18 minutes of shutout play while making eight stops and notching a pair of shutouts.

Emmanuel:

Junior Jonathan Ferrarini (Hanover, Mass.) enters the postseason with a 1.53 goals-against average and a .735 save percentage after posting 72 saves and yielding 26 goals in just over 1,530 minutes between the pipes. He currently ranks second in the conference in GK minutes and fourth in saves.

COACHES' CORNER:

Saint Joseph's Head Coach Adrian Dubois, now in his fifth season as the Monks' sideline general, owns a 67-24-9 (.670) career record, including a 37-9-2 (.770) mark in GNAC play and is the winningest coach in SJC men's soccer history. This fall, the back-to-back GNAC Coach of the Year honoree guided St. Joe's to the first perfect conference record since 2011, when Albertus Magnus College went 10-0-0 versus GNAC foes.

Under his watch, Saint Joseph's has evolved from a 5-15-0 team in 2014 to a nationally-ranked program. Last fall, Dubois helped lead the Monks to their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 2-1 triumph over Mitchell College, and a 19-0-2 final record after falling to reigning national champion Tufts University in PK's in the second round.

Emmanuel Head Coach Dan Roberts is in his third year at the helm for the Saints and owns a 16-28-11 (.291) career record, including an 11-11-8 (.367) mark in GNAC play. In his first season as the Saints' clipboard carrier, he led the Saints to an 8-9-2 record while posting a 4-4-1 mark in GNAC play to earn the fifth seed in the 2016 GNAC tournament.

THE LAST TIME WE MET:

Saint Joseph's edged Emmanuel, 1-0, at the SJC Athletics Complex on Tuesday, October 2nd. Playing in torrential rain, the Monks broke a scoreless tie in the 74th minute when Robinson scored off a corner kick.

The Monks held considerable advantages in shots (27-2), shots on goal (8-0), and corner kicks (11-0) in the victory while Ferrarini finished the game with seven saves.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:

Saint Joseph's is 9-3-1 all-time versus Emmanuel College and enters Friday's contest having defeated the Saints in three-consecutive meetings by a collective 9-0 score.

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 14-7 in GNAC postseason play with GNAC Championships in 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2017.

Emmanuel College has made 10 trips to the GNAC Tournament since joining the conference in 2002 with a postseason record of 1-9-1. The Saints tied Albertus Magnus in 2005 but fell in penalty kicks and notched their lone win in 2012 with a 3-2 victory over Emerson in the GNAC Quarterfinals.  

Even though both teams have had plenty of appearances in GNAC postseason play, Friday's tourney tilt marks the first time the Monks and Saints have faced off in the playoffs.

*Release courtesy of Saint Joseph's College Athletic Communications