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No. 6 Men's Lacrosse Set to Battle Top-Seeded Emmanuel in GNAC Championship Game Saturday
Posted: May 05, 2023

No. 6 Men's Lacrosse Set to Battle Top-Seeded Emmanuel in GNAC Championship Game Saturday

BOSTON — The sixth seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team looks to complete its historic postseason run, traveling to face top-seed Emmanuel College (Emmanuel) in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Game on Saturday, May 6. The title game appearance is the first in the four-year history of the men's lacrosse program. First faceoff against the Saints on Roberto Clemente Field in Boston is set for noon.

#6 USJ BLUE JAYS (11-8) at #1 EMMANUEL SAINTS (14-5)
LOCATION: Roberto Clemente Field (Boston, Mass.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, May 6 (12:00 p.m.)
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays 

USJ QUICK HITTERS

  • USJ advanced to the championship after knocking off third-seeded Rivier University, 8-6, last Saturday in the quarterfinals, before upsetting second-seeded Lasell University in overtime, 10-9, on Tuesday.
  • Sophomore midfield Christian Decker (Bristol, Conn.), scored the game winning goal in overtime for the Blue Jays, sending the team to its first GNAC title game in program history.
  • Decker has paced the USJ offense in the postseason, scoring eight of the team's 18 goals.
  • The Blue Jays have been on fire as of late, sporting a five-game winning streak entering the championship game.
  • The Blue Jays are paced offensively by senior attack Evan Baden (Burlington, Conn.). Baden has tallied 68 points on the year, netting 51 goals while dishing out 17 assists. The goal tally is the third most in the GNAC.
  • Decker has enjoyed a stellar debut season after transferring to USJ ahead of the 2023 campaign, ranking second on the team with 63 points and 43 goals, while leading the Blue Jays with 20 assists.
  • Freshman Nick Pestrichello (Wethersfield, Conn.) has been a force in his debut season, sitting third on the team with 49 points and 37 goals.
  • Senior goalkeeper Trey McCann (Simsbury, Conn.) has been a presence in goal for USJ this year, posting a 10-8 record in between the pipes. The netminder has tallied 193 saves, a 53.9% save percentage and a 9.87 goals against average across 1003:06 minutes of action.
  • Senior defender Michael Callahan (Hampton, N.J.) has been a force defensively for USJ, causing 33 turnovers, the fifth most in the GNAC.
  • Sophomore midfield Luke von Borstel (Massena, N.Y.) has established himself as the primary faceoff man for USJ, winning 108 of his 196 faceoff attempts, the eight most in the conference.
  • The Blue Jays have made teams pay for giving them man-up opportunities, leading the GNAC with 46 man-up goals.
  • USJ have reached the playoffs in every season since the men's lacrosse team made its debut in 2020 and are making their inaugural appearance in the championship game.
  • The Blue Jays are looking to become the second six-seed to win the GNAC Championship, joining Johnson & Wales University, who took home the title as the six-seed in 2018.

SCOUTING EMMANUEL

  • Emmanuel earned the top-seed in the GNAC Postseason after finishing with a remarkable 9-1 record in conference play.
  • After defeating eight-seeded Norwich in the GNAC Quarterfinals, 16-5, the Saints held on to avoid an upset by fifth-seeded Dean in the Semifinals on Tuesday, taking down the Bulldogs, 10-9, in overtime.
  • Emmanuel is paced offensively by senior Ryan Castle (Boxford, Mass.). Castle has tallied a team-high 70 points this season, off 48 goals and 22 assists.
  • Freshman Cole Cloney (Medfield, Mass.) has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign, leading the team with 49 goals, the fifth most in the GNAC.
  • Junior Thomas Quigley (Marblehead, Mass.) has been the primary playmaker for the Saints, dishing out a team-high 28 assists.
  • Freshman Paul Hardcastle (Upton, Mass.) anchors Emmanuel's defense unit, causing 34 turnovers, the fifth most in the conference.
  • Senior goalkeeper Randy Castle (Boxford, Mass.) has been a force in net for the Saints, leading the conference in total saves (228), save percentage (65.0%) and goals-against average (.789).
  • His save percentage ranks second in the entire nation, while his goals-against average is the ninth best in the NCAA.
  • Emmanuel has been stout defensively, causing 13.79 turnovers per game, the eighth most in the nation, while allowing 7.95 goals per game, the 14th fewest in the NCAA.
  • The Saints are making their fourth appearance in the GNAC Championship game, and their first since 2016. Emmanuel are a perfect 3-0 in title games, winning three-straight championships from 2014 through 2016.

INSIDE THE SERIES

  • Saturday marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Blue Jays and Saints.
  • The matchup is the first in the postseason for USJ and Emmanuel.
  • The Saints defeated the Blue Jays earlier this season, 10-4, on the USJ Lacrosse Field.
  • The all-time series is tied at 1-1 in games played on Roberto Clemente Field in Boston.

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Selection Show is set for Sunday, May 7 at 9:00 p.m.

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