WOMEN'S SOCCER: GNAC Tournament Quarterfinal Summary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Courtesy of Lasell Athletics Communications

WALTHAM, Mass. – Freshman Priscilla Martinelli (Plymouth, Mass.) scored the lone goal to lead the Lasell University Lasers women's soccer team to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) semifinal with a, 1-0, win over the Pride of Regis College Saturday at Gordon Field.

Within a minute of the first kick the Lasers struck a ball off the crossbar, and this continued to be a theme for Lasell.

Graduate student Narissa Libby (Gorham, Maine) drilled a ball off the crossbar in the 43rd minute. Fellow Graduate student Erin Petrocelli (Hanover, Mass.) rang one off the crossbar in the 64th minute.

The Lasers had one more hit the crossbar following a blast from freshman Alyssa DeOliveira (East Providence, R.I.) on a free kick. Following a great save by senior Angie Caldwell (Goffstown, N.H.) the ball ricocheted off her hands and off the crossbar.

A key moment in the game happened in the 69th minute when sophomore Sam Perkins (Whitman, Mass.) picked up her second yellow card of the game, and Regis was forced to play a man down for the rest of the game.

The momentum of the game fully shifted to the Lasers they finally broke through in the 82nd minute when Martinelli lofted a ball over the top of Caldwell and into the far post.

Two minutes after the Martinelli goal Regis had their best chance of the game when junior Hailey Lovell (Wakefield, Mass.) pushed a header just wide.

The Lasers will be back in action on Wednesday November 3, when they play host to Saint Joseph's of Maine for the GNAC semifinal. Kickoff for the game is yet to be set.

Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Johnson & Wales Women's Soccer team defeated the Emmanuel (Mass.) Saints in the Quarterfinals of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday evening, 3-0.  

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead through Junior Jordan Restivo (Utica, N.Y.), who ran a give and go off of a corner kick with Olivia Cairrao (Bristol, R.I.), and fired a shot towards the back post from the left side of the box that sailed over the goalkeepers head into the net. Restivo added a second goal minutes later, this time taking a shot from the right side of the box that flew past the keeper into the side netting, giving JWU a two-goal advantage.

The third and final goal for JWU came towards the end of the half, when Jenna Dzubak (Carmel, N.Y.) laid back a toe poke to Cairrao, who took a left footed shot that soared over the goalkeeper's head and under the crossbar for the goal. 

The teams played to a scoreless second half, giving JWU the victory 3-0 in the quarterfinal. Carly McCrumb (Grandville, Mich.) played all 90 minutes in net, earning the clean sheet with one save. 

JWU will host the semifinal on Wednesday at 7:00pm against the St. Joseph (CT) Blue Jays. 

Courtesy of USJ Athletics Communications

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) women's soccer team put on a clinic in its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinal match, shutting out the fifth-seeded Falcons of Albertus Magnus College (AMC), 3-0, in front of a packed and ruckus crowd at the USJ Soccer Field Saturday night. The Blue Jays advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the first time since 2015, and are set to travel to Johnson & Wales University (JWU), the tournament's top seed, on Wednesday, November 3 in Providence, R.I.

It could not have gone better for the Blue Jays on a rain-soaked Saturday night under the lights in USJ's first home women's soccer playoff game since 2012, as junior forward Maxine Muscatello (Berlin, Conn.), who has been on a tear to close out the season (six goals last four games), scored two coast-to-coast goals, igniting the hosts to a thrilling victory. Sophomore midfielder Marisa Brough (Cheshire, Conn.) was nothing short of spectacular also in her third game back, sending a header into the net in the 57th minute to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.

The defense may have just been the biggest story though, as the Blue Jays' backline, along with league leader and sophomore stopper Victoria Schaffner (Waterbury, Conn.), kept senior forward Katherine Raposo (Warwick, R.I.), a top-five scorer in the GNAC in check from start to finish, as Schaffner recorded her league-leading eighth shutout of 2021, and her first in the postseason. The mastermind of it all, first-year head coach Jenna Kalwa, recorded her first playoff win on debut and on her home field. The Blue Jays, who were hosting their first GNAC Tournament match since 2012, have never advanced to the conference championship; they will get a shot to do that on Wednesday when they head over the Connecticut-Rhode Island border.

PLAYER QUOTE [Maxine Muscatello] "The team really got the job done. Coach Kalwa gave us the scouting report before the game, and we came together collectively at the right moments. I couldn't be more proud of my team. They set me up for success tonight. I just hand it all to them. All season long we have been saying, 'play for each other'. We work hard in practice, and we show up for the big moments. Tonight was definitely one of those moments."

COACH QUOTE [Jenna Kalwa] "It's what you see every day in practice from this group. At this stage of the season, it's not as much about the X's and O's…it's about culture, and this team plays for each other. We are a family through and through, and I am so proud of them."

UP NEXT
It's off to Providence for the Blue Jays, who will prepare for their tallest task yet; a battle against top-seeded and defending champion JWU in the GNAC Semifinals. That match is scheduled for Wednesday, November 3 at a time to be determined. The Blue Jays and Wildcats played to a scoreless draw earlier this season on September 18 on the USJ Soccer Field. USJ is seeking its first GNAC Championship appearance in program history, while the Wildcats continue their quest to win back-to-back titles.

Courtesy of SJC Athletics Communications