No. 1 Men's Soccer Set to Host No. 9 Regis in GNAC Quarterfinals

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The top-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team begins its quest for the programs' second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship, hosting ninth-seeded Regis College (Regis) in the GNAC Quarterfinals Saturday afternoon. Kickoff against the Pride is set for 1:00 p.m. on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. 
 
#1 USJ BLUE JAYS (11-4-3, 10-1-3 GNAC) vs. #9 REGIS PRIDE (6-8-4, 5-7-2 GNAC) 
LOCATION: USJ Soccer Field (West Hartford, Conn.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Nov. 2 (1 p.m.)  
WATCH: Live Stream 
LIVE STATS: Live Stats 
TWITTER: @USJ_BlueJays | #FearTheFlock | #GoBlueJays | #D3soc
 
USJ QUICK HITS 

• USJ earned the number one seed in the GNAC playoffs after finishing with a 10-1-3 record in conference play.
• The Blue Jays were tied with Johnson & Wales University and Albertus Magnus College for the number one seed, but USJ won the tiebreaker after posting a 1-0-1 record against the two schools.
• The Blue Jays concluded the regular season on a four-game winning streak, defeating intrastate foes Mitchell College, 5-0, on Tuesday to round out the regular season.
• The Blue Jays' offense is led by team captain, graduate student Henry McGarrah V (Hartford, Conn.).
• McGarrah V has been a force on the wings for USJ, leading the team in total points (25), goals scored (10) and tied for the team lead in assists (5). His point tally is the second most in the GNAC, while he is also tied for second in both goals scored and assists.
• Senior forward Dane Stephens (Linstead, Jamaica) has also enjoyed a stellar year, ranking second on the team with 20 total points after tallying eight goals and four assists.
• USJ boasts a quartet of freshmen that have made an immediate impact; forward Damir Cirikovic (Southington, Conn.), and midfielders Justin Cardinale (Wolcott, Conn.), Mario Milardo (Middletown, Conn.) and Landon Coelho (Naugatuck, Conn.).
• Cirikovic is currently third on the team with seven goals, while Cardinale has tallied 11 points off four goals and three assists. Coelho has dished out a team-leading five assists on the yar, while Milardo has racked up nine points from four goals and one assist.
• Junior Nicholas Simpson (Mansfield, Conn.) and freshman Jaiden Daigle (Rocky Hill, Conn.) have formed a formidable partnership on the backline, anchoring a defense that has kept six shutouts on the season.
• Freshman Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.) leads the Blue Jays' goalkeeping core, boasting a team-best record of 8-1-3 and a team-high three shutouts. The freshman also has tallied 51 total saves, and has posted a .761 save percentage and a 1.18 goals against average
• USJ has reached the GNAC playoffs in every season since the program started play in 2018. The Blue Jays hold a 6-4 record in GNAC postseason play, winning the program's lone conference title in 2022.

SCOUTING REGIS

• The Pride earned the ninth seed in the GNAC playoffs after posting a 5-7-2 mark in conference play.
• Regis advanced to the quarterfinal round after defeating eight-seeded Norwich University in the GNAC First Round, 1-0 in overtime, on Thursday night.
• The Pride are lead offensively by the duo of senior forward Federico Lavini-Ayalla and freshman forward Dane Peterson. Lavini-Ayalla leads the team with 13 points off six goals and one assist, while Peterson follows behind with 11 points from five goals and one assist.
• Sophomore forward Joey Davila is the leading playmaker, dishing out a team-best four assists.
• Freshman goalkeeper Chris Alcon leads the Regis goalkeeping core, posting a 5-3-2 record, keeping one shutout and tallying 50 saves, a .735 save percentage and a .186 goals against average.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Saturday marks the seventh time that the Blue Jays and Pride meet on the pitch. 
• USJ is unbeaten against Regis, holding a perfect 6-0-0 record all-time.
• The meeting marks the first time that the Blue Jays and Pride will meet in the playoffs.
• The Blue Jays are unbeaten at home on the USJ Soccer Field against Regis, holding a 3-0-0 record. 
• Earlier this season, the Blue Jays defeated the Pride, 3-2, at Regis Stadium in Weston, Mass.

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Semifinals for the fifth consecutive season, taking on the winner of the No. 4 Emmanuel versus No. 5 Saint Joseph's College of Maine matchup. The Semifinals are set to take place on Tuesday, November 6 at the site of the higher seed. 

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