Suffolk Upsets JWU in GNAC Women's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seventh-seeded Suffolk University upset second-seeded Johnson & Wales University, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in the 2016 GNAC Women's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals to move on to Wednesday's scheduled semifinals at third-seeded Albertus Magnus College, which handled sixth-seeded Emmanuel College, 1-0, on Sunday.

The other Wednesday semifinals will feature top-seeded Lasell College hosting fourth-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine at 2:00 PM. Lasell bested No. 8 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 2-0, while the Monks topped fifth-seeded Simmons College, 3-1, in quarterfinal action.

#1 LASELL 2, #8 USJ 0
NEWTON, Mass. -- Senior Megan Cullen (Amesbury, Mass.) drove home two goals to send the Lasell women's soccer team to the GNAC semifinal for the seventh season in a row. The Lasers bested the Blue Jays of Saint Joseph's (Conn.), 2-0, to improve their overall record to 16-2-1.

The Blue Jays, who met Lasell in the GNAC semifinal last season, played in their final game of the 2016 campaign to close out at 6-11-1 overall.

Casey Meissner (Sandwich, Mass.) and Sabrina Morais (Arlington, Mass.) assisted both goals of the contest for Lasell.

The Lasers controlled the entire postseason match, holding a 24-4 and 11-0 advantage in shots and corner kicks, respectively. Lasell's back line yielded the Blue Jays to just hree shots on net in the full 90 minutes played, which were all stopped by junior keeper Sarah LaClair(Belchertown, Mass.).

In the 26th minute, Lasell opened the scoring as Meissner sent a through ball between two USJ defenders to Cullen's feet, who poked the ball past the left side of freshman keeper Megan Ricci (Center Moriches, N.Y.). The Lasers penetrated the net three more times after the marker, but Ricci was there to make the stop in her 15th cap of her season.

Lasell converted on its first scoring opportunity in the second half, as Morais chipped a diagonal ball to space for Cullen, who netted her team-leading 20th goal of the season.

The Lasers remained composed in the back, catching St. Joe's with the offside trap five times, to keep the visiting score at zero.

LaClair improves to 15-2-1 overall with three saves on the day in her seventh shutout of the season, while Ricci closes her rookie campaign at 6-9-1.

The Lasers will host the Monks of Saint Joseph's Maine on Wednesday, November 2 with kickoff slated for 2:00 p.m.

Courtesy of Lasell Athletics Communications.

#7 SUFFOLK 2, #2 JWU 1
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Jennifer Martin scored on a free kick with less than 10 minutes remaining to break a 1-1 tie and help the seventh-seeded Suffolk women's soccer team stun No. 2 Johnson & Wales, 2-1, in the GNAC Quarterfinals Sunday night at the Scotts-Miracle Gro Athletics Complex. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2, Johnson & Wales 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (11-9) | Johnson & Wales (15-3-3) 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk broke open the scoring early in the first frame, but the Wildcats had a response to even the playing field. After a stalemate of back and forth that was controlled by JWU the majority of the time, the Rams capitalized on their best chance with under 10 minutes on the clock. A Wildcat foul deep in JWU territory gave Suffolk a free kick. From the left side, 20-yards out, Martin fired a free kick past the grasp of Collen Lynch's gloves in the opposite end of the net to put the Rams ahead 2-1. Down the stretch, Kirsten Weiker turned aside two Wildcat attempts to seal Suffolk's semis fate. 

GOALS

•  Erika Nelson got the scoring going in the seventh minute. Alexandra Nagri sent a cross pass into to Nelson, who headed the rock into the net from three yards out to make it a 1-0 Suffolk game. 
• Nearly eight minutes were removed from the scoreboard before JWU got the equalizer. Kyra Selner sent the ball into the box from the right side and Catherine Nolan redirected it past Weiker. 
• Martin's game-winning tally came in the 82nd minute unassisted on a  free kick from 20 yards out. 

KEEPING UP WITH THE KEEPERS

• Weiker was just one of five goalies that JWU faced in 21 contests that held the Wildcats to just one goal. The sophomore keeper put together a 10-save performance as a crucial ingredient in Suffolk's victory. 
• Lynch suffered just her second setback of the season despite a three-save effort in between the pipes for Johnson & Wales. 

NOTEABLES

• Suffolk is the first team to defeat Johnson & Wales in the month of October this season as the Rams' snapped the Wildcats' 12-game unbeaten streak. 
• The Rams are just one of three of JWU's 21 opponents to score multiple goals against the Wildcats this season. 
• Martin's second stanza tally is one of just four goals scored over the second set of 45 minutes against JWU in 2016. 
• Suffolk moved to 3-3 in the conference quarterfinals and remains unbeaten against the Wildcats in the tournament's first round, moving to 2-0.
• The Rams will make the program's third trip to the semis and first since 2013. 
• Suffolk's 11 victories are tied for second all-time in the program's history with the 2011 squad, which went 11-8-1. 

Courtesy of Suffolk Athletics Communications.

#3 ALBERTUS 1, #6 EMMANUEL 0
New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College women's soccer team blanked visiting Emmanuel, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Quarterfinals at Celentano Field.

The Falcons (10-7-1) avenge a 2-0 setback in the Elm City to the Saints (9-10-1) earlier this fall and advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time since 2014 and the third time overall.

Albertus Magnus senior midfielder Danielle Polvan (East Haven, Conn.) netted the game-winning strike late in the opening half. Polvan won a 50-50 ball in her team's defense end and used a great individual effort to beat the Emmanuel defender marking her. Polvan came in on a breakaway and fired a shot from just outside the box past the outstretched arms of Saint goalkeeper Victoria LaRoche.

The marker was Polvan's 10th of the season and came in the 41st minute.

Prior to Polvan's blast, both teams had scoring chances. Early on, AMC peppered LaRoche with shots. Falcon junior Amanda Montano (North Haven, Conn.) had several chances, but both of her shots sailed over the crossbar. Albertus Magnus also saw a shot from Alexya Alves (Naugatuck, Conn.) headed away in front of an open net by a Saint defender and a header from senior Taylor Rotella (Milford, Conn.) clank off the crossbar.

On the opposite side of the field, Emmanuel had their best look early in the contest as well. Off a corner kick, freshman forward Kaylin Deschenes headed the ball just wide of the goal. Later in the first frame, Saint freshman forward Olivia Collins took a shot from the penalty area that was gloved out of the air by Albertus Magnus sophomore goalkeeper Lexie Fenn (Oakville, Conn.).

Fenn had a stellar game between the pipes for the hosts, turning aside all four of the shots she faced to post her fourth shutout of the autumn. LaRoche did her part to keep the guests in the game, making six saves in a losing effort.

During the second half, Fenn and the Albertus Magnus backline kept the visitors off the scoreboard and the offense maintained possession to control the tempo of the contest.

Courtesy of Albertus Athletics Communications.

#4 SAINT JOSEPH'S 3, #5 SIMMONS 1
PORTLAND, Maine – Sophomore forward Haley DaGraca (Saco, Maine) netted a pair of goals to help #4 Saint Joseph's College (10-6-3, 6-2-3 GNAC) defeat #5 Simmons College (8-8-2, 7-4-0 GNAC), 3-1, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal at Deering Memorial Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

THE LEAD
With the match tied 1-1 at the break, DaGraca scored the winner on the Monks' first possession of the second stanza, as the second-year standout found space in the middle of the box and slipped a shot to the lower left corner just 55 seconds into the latter frame.

Junior midfielder Sarah Comtois (Lowell, Mass.) provided an insurance goal in the 70th minute when she controlled the rebound off her first attempt and tapped the ball into the net, accounting for the 3-1 final.

The conference foes swapped scores in the first half, as DaGraca hit pay dirt off an Emily Thornton (Westbrook, Maine) pass in the 19th minute and Simmons sophomore forwardCiara Forde (Quincy, Mass.) knotted the contest off a Rachel Gilbert (Falmouth, Mass.) feed with 1:45 before the break.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's advances in the GNAC Tournament and will play at #1 Lasell College in a conference semifinal Wednesday, start time TBD. The Lasers defeated #8 University of Saint Joseph, 2-0, in other quarterfinal play this afternoon.

For Simmons, the loss signals the end of the 2016 campaign, save for a potential ECAC Tournament berth.

TEAM STATS
The Monks and Sharks played essentially even on the stat sheet, as the hosts held slight advantages in shots (17-15), shots on goal (12-8), and corner kicks (5-4) in the tournament triumph.

THE KEEPERS
Saint Joseph's junior captain Brooke Troup (East Bridgewater, Mass.) stopped seven of the eight shots she faced to pick up the victory while her counterpart, Simmons junior Casey Halle (Watertown, Mass.), registered nine saves in the losing bid.

NOTEWORTHY

• Troup made a big save in the 34th minute when she punched a high shot, off the foot of Simmons junior Liz Donovan (Nashua, N.H.), over the crossbar
• With the Sharks applying plenty of pressure late, junior forward Kashka Gammon (Nashua, N.H.) narrowly missed an open net with a shot just outside the right post as Troup left the goalmouth to challenge
• For the Monks, today's tournament victory snaps a six-game postseason losing streak stretching back to the 2009 campaign
• DaGraca now has 20 goals and 43 total points in 17 games this fall – the second-highest single-season totals in program history
• Today's win is the Monks' 10th this fall and marks the 19th time the team has produced double-digit victories in the 29-year history of the SJC women's soccer program

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 6-5-1 in the history of the series with Simmons College, a team the Monks defeated by a 2-0 score in Standish on September 24th.