Strong Second Half Propels Men's Soccer Past Norwich, 3-0, Saturday Afternoon

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team utilized a strong second half to blitz past the Norwich University (Norwich) Cadets, 3-0, Saturday afternoon on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, the Blue Jays found the back of the net three times in the second half to secure the win. The victory also marks the first time in program history that USJ defeated Norwich. With the result, the Blue Jays improved to 8-4-3 on the year and 7-1-3 in GNAC play, while the Saints moved to 4-7-2 overall and 3-6-2 in the conference.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• USJ nearly grabbed the lead at the 8:20 mark, as freshman midfielder Mario Milardo (Middletown, Conn.) forced a world-class save out of the Norwich netminder, as the game remained scoreless.
• Neither team generated another clear-cut opportunity during the rest of the half, as the game remained scoreless after the opening 45 minutes of play.
• The Blue Jays controlled the opening portion of the second half, finding the breakthrough goal at the 63:44 mark. Graduate student midfielder Henry McGarrah V (Hartford, Conn.) rushed down the left flank, cutting back before finding Milardo wide open inside the box, who struck the ball into the back of the net, establishing a 1-0 USJ lead.
• USJ continued to push for a second goal and were rewarded for their efforts at the 77:20 mark after junior defender Eduardo Chavez-Baez (Norwalk, Conn.) sent a through ball down the right flank into the path of freshman forward Damir Cirikovic (Southington, Conn.) who dribbled into the box and fired a low driven shot past the Norwich goalkeeper, increasing the gap to 2-0.
• The Blue Jays put the game to rest at the 81:37 mark, as senior forward Dane Stephens (Linstead, Jamaica) struck a free-kick from just outside of the 18-yard box into the top left corner, increasing the gap to 3-0.
• USJ continued to hold off the Norwich offense, securing the 3-0 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Milardo netted his third goal of the year, while Stephens scored his seventh, and Cirikovic scored his fourth.
• Chavez-Baez dished out his second assist of the season, while McGarrah V recorded his team-leading fourth helped.
• Freshman Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.) played all 90 minutes in goal, picking up his third shutout of the season after recording only one save.
• USJ held a significant 19-6 advantage in shots.
• The Blue Jays also had an 11-1 edge in corner kicks.
• The victory marked the first time that USJ defeated Norwich.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays head on the road for a two-game road swing, starting with a stop at reigning GNAC champions Johnson & Wales University on Wednesday, October 23. Opening kickoff against the Wildcats at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex in Providence, R.I., is slated for 4:00 p.m.

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