BOSTON, Mass. – Eighth-seeded Emmanuel College (8-8-2, 7-6-0 GNAC) will travel top-seeded Johnson & Wales University (14-3-2, 12-0-1 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal game at Scotts Miracle Gro Field in Providence, R.I. on Saturday, October 30 at 8:00 PM
OVERVIEW:
Saturday's winner advances to the semifinal round of the GNAC tourney and will face the victor of the No. 4 University of Saint Joseph (CT) / No. 5 Albertus Magnus College quarterfinal on Wednesday, November 3rd.
The other quarterfinal contests within the conference bracket consist of No. 2 Lasell University versus No. 7 Regis College and No. 3 Saint Joseph's College (ME) versus No. 6 Elms College.
The winner of the GNAC Championship game, which will be played on Saturday, November 6th, earns an automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA DIII Women's Soccer Championship, which begins on Friday, Nov. 12th.
SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Emmanuel:
- The Saints enter the GNAC Tournament ranked fifth in the conference in goals scored with 30 tallies on the year
- Emmanuel attempted 90 corner kicks on the year to rank third in the GNAC
- Over the past four weeks, the Saints have posted a 6-2 record, posting four shutouts during the stretch
- EC struggled on the road this year going 2-5-1 playing away from Roberto Clemente Field
Johnson & Wales:
- The Wildcats lived up to their No. 1 preseason Coaches' Poll ranking, going undefeated in GNAC play to earn the No. 6 Regional Rank in this week's United Soccer Coaches Region 1 poll
- JWU led the conference and ranks tied for seventh nationally with 403 total shots on the year, over 100 more attempts from the second team in the GNAC (Regis – 299)
- Johnson & Wales ranks first in the GNAC in goals (58) and goals against average (0.62), doing it well on both sides of the ball
- The Wildcats outscored GNAC opponents by a 51-5 margin (+46) this season in 13 league games
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Emmanuel:
- Senior back Kennedy Davignon (Woodstock, Conn.) – The Saints top defender scored in two of the final three regular-season games including a goal against the Wildcats.
- Sophomore forward Addie LeGault (Farmington, Conn.) – Emmanuel's top goal-scorer, LeGault finished the regular-season ranked sixth in the GNAC in goals (10) and eighth in points (22) despite missing several games during the campaign due to injury.
- Senior midfielder Bailey Maurer (Florence, Mass.) – EC relies on a big midfield presence from the 5'11 co-captain, winning balls, helping transition both sides of the field and are unbeaten in games she's scored in this year.
Johnson & Wales:
- Junior forward Jordan Restivo (Utica, N.Y.) – Shares the GNAC lead in points (33) while ranking first in assists (11) which is tied for fourth nationally among D-III players.
- Sophomore forward Hayley Viebrock (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) – Ranked second in the GNAC in goals scored (14) and lifted the Wildcats to an 11-0-0 mark in games she scored in.
- First year back Emily Deroehn (Old Lyme, Conn..) – Anchored the JWU backline that posted nine shutouts while also scoring several key goals on the year including four game-winners.
KEEPER COMPARISON:
Emmanuel:
Sophomore Lexi Della Rocco (Chester, Conn.) led the GNAC in minutes played this season with 1,366 logged over 15 matches, posting a 1.45 goals against average to complement a .728 save percentage. She also posted four shutouts and has made 59 total saves on the year for EC.
Johnson & Wales:
First year Carly McCrumb (Grandville, Mich.) has enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign, going 9-2-1 in goal with a 0.48 goals against average to lead the GNAC. She's never had to make more than five saves in a match but has also never allowed multiple goals in a collegiate outing.
COACHES' CORNER:
Emmanuel Head Coach Francis Okaroh is in his first year at the helm for the Saints and brings an 8-8-2 career record into the contest. He has plenty of postseason history under his belt as a Division I men's soccer Assistant Coach at Boston University, but this marks his first playoff game as a female skipper.
JWU Head Coach Chris Flint is in his seventh season with the program and has over 250 collegiate coaching wins across Division I, II & III. He guided the Wildcats to the 2019 GNAC Championship and following an unbeaten regular-season will be the favorite to win 2021 GNAC Coach of the Year.
THE LAST TIME WE MET:
Johnson & Wales posted a 3-1 victory earlier this month on Wednesday, October 20. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead behind a Viebrock goal in the 10th minute of play and doubled the Saints up before the half with a Restivo score to make it 2-0.
Davignon cut the JWU lead in half to make it 2-1 in the 56th minute, scoring off a free-kick from 35 yards out but a late goal by sophomore Sammie Strong (Wethersfield, Conn.) secure the 3-1 victory that saw the Wildcats outshoot the Saints by a 22-8 margin while controlling the corner kick action, 11-1.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Emmanuel is 10-15-4 all-time versus Johnson & Wales University and enters Saturday's contest on a four-match losing skid. The squads have a history of playing tight games with the last 10 results having been decided by two or few goals. The sides have gone into extra time on six occasions with Emmanuel owning a 2-0-4 OT record.
POSTSEASON HISTORY:
The Saints are 19-18-2 all-time in the GNAC tournament, most recently making a run to the championship game in both the 2014 and 2015 playoffs. During the 2019 postseason, Emmanuel lost to Saint Joseph's (ME) in the semifinals of the GNAC Tournament, 2-1, falling to the No. 2 seed on the road despite holding a 1-0 halftime advantage. Emmanuel won the GNAC Championship twice back in 2007 and 2003.
JWU makes its eighth consecutive appearance in the GNAC postseason and has won four total GNAC Championships (2019, 2005, 2000, 1995).
COVERAGE:
To watch the game live visit: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/jwuri
