Men's Soccer Hosts Albertus Magnus in GNAC Quarterfinals

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The fourth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team is set to host fifth-seeded Albertus Magnus College (AMC) in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals on Saturday night in a rematch of last year's GNAC Quarterfinals. Kickoff against the intrastate and conference rival Falcons is set for 6:00 p.m. on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. 
 
#4 USJ BLUE JAYS (10-3-3, 7-2-3 GNAC) vs. #5 ALBERTUS MAGNUS FALCONS (8-5-4, 6-3-3 GNAC) 
LOCATION: USJ Soccer Field (West Hartford, Conn.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 29 (6 p.m.)  
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays 
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ earned the fourth seed in the GNAC playoffs after finishing with a 7-2-3 record in conference play.
• The Blue Jays concluded the regular season on a two-game winning streak, defeating Rivier, 4-0, before posting a dominating 8-0 win over Anna Maria on Wednesday.
• The Blue Jays' offense is led by a trio of veterans: senior Benjamin Marchetti (Higganum, Conn.), senior Dane Stephens (Jamaica), and graduate student DeAnte Anderson (Bloomfield, Conn.).
• Marchetti paces the team with 12 goals and 27 points, ranking fourth and fifth in the conference in each respective category. Anderson has been equally impressive, boasting nine goals and six assists for 24 points, while Stephens serves as the team's top playmaker, dishing out seven assists this season.
• Senior Michael Torres (Hartford, Conn.) has been a staple in the midfield, starting in 14 of the team's 16 games. The midfielder has scored four goals while dishing out six assists on the season.
• Junior Jose Miguel Garcia Martin (Madrid, Spain) leads the team in net, appearing in 12 games this season. The netminder sports a 7-3-2 record, tallying four shutouts, 45 saves, a .703 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average.
• USJ has reached the GNAC playoffs in every season since the program started play in 2018. The Blue Jays hold a 2-3 record in postseason play, reaching the GNAC Semifinals the past two seasons.

SCOUTING ALBERTUS MAGNUS 

• The Falcons earned the fifth seed in the GNAC playoffs after posting a 6-3-3 mark in conference play. 
• AMC dropped its two most recent games, falling to Castleton, 2-1, before losing to Norwich, 5-0, this past Saturday. 
• The Falcons are led by the duo of senior midfielder Kelvin Cortez and freshman midfielder Yahya Kardad. 
• Cortez leads the team with 17 points off seven goals and three assists, while Kardad is second with 14 points from six goals and two assists.
• Freshman goalkeeper David Lucero is one of the top netminders in the GNAC, ranking second in save percentage (.808), fifth in goals-against average (0.97) and fourth in shutouts (6).

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Saturday marks the seventh time that the Blue Jays and Falcons meet on the pitch. 
• USJ owns a slight 3-2-1 edge in the all-time series. 
• The two sides have met in the GNAC Quarterfinals in the past two seasons, with USJ coming out on top in both occasions. 
• The Blue Jays are unbeaten at home on the USJ Soccer Field against AMC, holding a 2-0-1 record. 
• Earlier this season, the two sides battled to a scoreless draw in West Hartford. 

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Semifinals, taking on the winner of the No. 8 Anna Maria versus No. 1 Saint Joseph's College of Maine matchup. The Semifinals are set to take place on Wednesday, November 2.