No. 3 Men's Soccer Eases Past No. 6 Dean, 3-1, in GNAC Quarterfinals

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The third-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team eased past sixth-seeded Dean College (Dean), 3-1, Saturday afternoon on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn., during the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 13-1-3 on the year, while the Bulldogs conclude their 2023 campaign at 9-5-3.

KEY MOMENTS 

• The Blue Jays looked to gain the edge earlier in the match, firing off shots on goal, but Dean goalkeeper Alberto Gonzalez Del Rio (Madrid, Spain) kept USJ off the board inside the opening 20 minutes.
• USJ senior netminder Jose Miguel Garcia Martin (Madrid, Spain) was equally impressive, making a pair of stops to keep the game scoreless entering the 25th minute.
• The Blue Jays were finally able to find the breakthrough at the 25:09 mark as freshman midfielder Matthew Dima (Oxford, Conn.) stood over a free-kick right on the edge of the top of the box, curling his shot into the bottom left corner, establishing a 1-0 USJ lead.
• The game quieted down following the goal as USJ entered the halftime break leading, 1-0.
• USJ continued to push for a second goal, finding the back of the net again at the 66:23 mark. Graduate student defender Nolan Clack (Hanson, Mass.) whipped in a perfect cross from a corner kick onto the head of sophomore defender Nicholas Simpson (Mansfield, Conn.), who guided the ball into the back of the net, increasing the USJ edge to 2-0.
• The Blue Jays put the game to rest at the 74:36 mark as graduate student midfielder Michael Torres (Hartford, Conn.) picked out a perfect pass to Clack on the left flank, who quickly fired a low driven cross onto the sliding foot of senior midfielder Henry McGarrah V (Hartford, Conn.), sending the ball into the net and increasing the edge to 3-0.
• Dean found a late consolation goal as Jude Munson (Winchester, Mass.) picked out a pass to Juliano Silva (Cumberland, R.I.), who fired his shot into the net, cutting the gap to 3-1.
• The goal would be too little too late though, as USJ held on for the 3-1 victory.

NOTES 

• Dima scored his seventh goal of the year, while Simpson netted his third and McGarrah V scored his ninth.
• Garcia Martin tallied six saves to pick up the victory.
• The Bulldogs and Blue Jays were deadlocked in shots, 15-15.
• With the result, the Blue Jays extend its winning streak over the Bulldogs to four games, increase its advantage in the all-time series to 4-0-0.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays head to second-seeded Johnson & Wales University for the GNAC Semifinals on Tuesday, October 31. Kickoff from the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex in Providence, R.I., is set for 4:00 p.m.

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