WOMEN'S SOCCER ADVANCES TO GNAC SEMIFINALS WITH 3-0 WIN OVER USJ

BOSTON, Mass. – The No. 4 seeded Emmanuel College Women's Soccer Team shut out the 5th-seeded Blue Jays of University of Saint Joseph, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament.  The GNAC quarterfinal victory on Emmanuel's home Clemente Field propelled the host Saints to 10-7-3 on the season.  The Blue Jays end their season at 10-5-3.

Just ten days ago, these two teams battle in West Hartford, Conn. for 110 minutes, only to result in a scoreless stalemate.  The Saints, however, would not let the scoreless streak continue, as they quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 29^th minute of action.

Senior forward Lindsey Garvey (Warwick, R.I.) got a nice chip up the sideline from Savannah Lundwall (Fiskdale, Mass.). Garvey lofted the ball past USJ keeper Melissa Dodge (Watertown, Conn.) for her eighth goal of the 2013 campaign and the hosts led, 1-0.

Emmanuel dominated play for much of the first half, firing off 11 shots, while holding the Blue Jays to zero.  The Saints owned a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks in the opening frame and carried the one-goal lead into the break at halftime.

Sophomore forward Hannah Konicki (Milford, Conn.) got two great looks early in the second stanza, but Dodge was there to stifle both opportunities.  The Saints would tack on their first of two insurance goals with 30 minutes left to play.  After a scramble in front of the USJ net, Katelyn Fink (Sanford, Me.) broke free and served the ball up to senior Donandrea Myette (Portsmouth, R.I.).  Myette drilled it past Dodge for her third goal of the season and the Saints led, 2-0.

Emmanuel would score once more before it was over.  With 12 minutes remaining in the game, freshman midfielder Maggie Carey (Swampscott, Mass.) fired the ball into the USJ box.  It would ricochet off the post and past Dodge for a 3-0 Saints' lead.  Senior Darcey Sullivan (Dalton, Mass.) picked up her seventh assist of the season on the play.

Emmanuel would close out the game with a 19-1 shooting advantage, and an 8-2 margin in corner kick opportunities.  Dodge finished with 11 saves in the effort for the Blue Jays.  Emmanuel's sophomore keeper Brenna Smith (Wantagh, N.Y.) earned the win in net for the Saints, making a solo stop on the lone USJ shot-on-goal.

In other GNAC Tournament action, the defending champion Lasell College Lasers defeated No. 8 Johnson & Wales University, 2-0.  The Saints will now advance to take on the top-seeded Lasers on Tuesday, November 5, in a GNAC semifinal game to be played on Lasell's home pitch in Newton, Mass at 1:30 PM.

Two upsets took place in the other quarterfinal match-ups.  No. 6 Suffolk defeated No. 3 Saint Joseph's (ME) in penalty kicks 1-1 2O.T. (4-2 PK) and No. 7 Simmons defeated No. 2 Albertus Magnus, 0-0 2O.T. (3-2 PK).

The winners of Tuesday's semifinal action will square off in the GNAC Championship on Saturday, November 9, at the home site of the highest remaining seed.  The GNAC Champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Emmanuel has won two prior GNAC titles in women's soccer, including championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2007.