Field Hockey Heads to Top-Seeded JWU for GNAC Quarterfinals

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The eighth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) field hockey team, who made the postseason for the first time in the program's two-year history, heads to Providence, R.I., to face off with top-seeded Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals on Saturday, October 29th. The matchup between the Blue Jays and Wildcats is set for noon at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex.
 
#8 USJ BLUE JAYS (3-13, 3-8 GNAC) at #1 JOHNSON & WALES WILDCATS (16-1, 11-0 GNAC) 
LOCATION: Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex (Providence, R.I.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 29 (12 p.m.)  
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USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ makes its inaugural trip to the GNAC postseason tournament, finishing the year with a 3-8 record in conference play to lock up the eighth seed.
• The Blue Jays won two of their final three games to secure their spot in the playoffs.
• Freshman Devan Fox (Granville, Mass.) paced the Blue Jays' offense after leading the team with 10 points off three goals and four assists.
• Senior Makenzie Dinger (Hingham, Mass.) matched Fox's assist tally, tying for the team-lead in helpers with four.
• Sophomore Maya Tomko (Sparta, N.J.) was the primary goal scorer, leading the team with four goals.
• Junior Wendy Bowden led the team inside the cage, starting in all 16 of USJ's games.
• Bowden finished seventh in the conference in saves (93), while posting three shutouts, a .721 save percentage, and a 2.37 goals-against average.

SCOUTING JOHNSON & WALES 

• The Wildcats earned the top seed in the GNAC playoffs after posting a perfect 11-0 record in conference play.
• Jillian Miele leads the JWU offense, finishing second in the GNAC in goals scored (23), assists (14), and total points (60).
• Margaret Johnson was also a force for the Wildcats, ranking second on the team in goals (12), assists (11), and points (35).
• Madison Flaxington is the main netminder for JWU, starting in all 17 games in 2022. She leads the conference in save percentage (.859) while sitting second in shutouts (4), goals against (9), and goals-against average (0.64).

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Saturday marks the third time that the Blue Jays and Wildcats meet on the field.
• JWU is 2-0 in the all-time series against USJ.
• Earlier this season, the Wildcats defeated the Blue Jays, 3-1, on the USJ Field Hockey Field in West Hartford. 

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Semifinals, taking on the winner of the No. 4 Colby-Sawyer versus No. 5 Rivier matchup. The Semifinals are set to take place on Wednesday, November 2. 

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