BOSTON – For the third time in team history, Emmanuel men's soccer is on to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals, following a dramatic win in penalty kicks on Saturday afternoon against the Saint Joseph's College Monks. The match ended 1-1 before the Saints won 4-2 in penalty kicks.
Of the three times the Saints have made the GNAC Semifinals, they've advanced twice by a quarterfinal win in PK's. For NCAA records, the match ends in a draw and moves the Saints to 10-5-3 this season.
Through two rounds of PK's the Monks and Saints were tied 1-1 after both sides converted a shot and hit the left post with their other attempt. Saints first-year
Jacob Beck and Monks junior
Griffin Forbes each scored in round three, keeping the PK shootout at 2-2.
The turning point came in the final two rounds as Emmanuel senior
David Gydus stepped to the spot and fired a right-footer into the net. Monks senior
Gus Ford stepped up next and his attempt looked destined for the bottom left corner, but a sprawling right-handed save by junior
Maddox Pierce gave the Saints a 3-2 edge.
Sophomore
Cam Naples would be the match's final kick taker as the Monks goalie dove the wrong direction as Naples' shot hit the right netting, giving the Saints the 4-2 win in penalties.
The match nearly avoided penalties as the Monks had the best chance in overtime, coming in the 97
th minute. A cross from the right side was met with a diving header by first-year
Nick Marion from in close. His diving attempt looked set for the top corner but instead, hit the crossbar and fell out of play.
All the regulation scoring happened in the final 10 minutes of the first half with the Monks striking first in the 36
th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Marion laid a pass off to senior
Dante Roselli at the top of the penalty area. Roselli's strike deflected off a Saints defender and into the right side netting for the day's first goal.
The Saints responded just minutes later in the 39
th to square the match. Off a set piece, first-year
Rafael Matamoros crossed a pass that found the head of senior
Joey Soucy, who headed it back across the goal and into the path of first-year
Aaron Picker. From inside five yards, Picker volleyed his right-footed shot just under the crossbar, tying the match 1-1.
By advancing, the Saints return to play with a trip to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 4:00 p.m. In their regular season meeting this year, Emmanuel handed the Blue Jays their only in-conference loss in a 2-0 victory for the Saints.
