No. 1 Men's Soccer Set for GNAC Semifinal Clash Against No. 4 Emmanuel Wednesday

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The top-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team continues its quest for the program's second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship, hosting fourth-seeded Emmanuel College (Emmanuel) in the GNAC Semifinals Wednesday. Kickoff against the Saints is set for 4:00 p.m. on the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. 
 
#1 USJ BLUE JAYS (12-4-3, 10-1-3 GNAC) vs. #4 EMMANUEL SAINTS (10-5-3, 9-3-2 GNAC) 
LOCATION: USJ Soccer Field (West Hartford, Conn.) 
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, Nov. 6 (4 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 advanced to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive year after thrashing ninth-seeded Regis College, 5-0, in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
• 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 (29), goals scored (11) and assists (7). His assist tally is the best in the GNAC, while he also ranks second in goals scored and total points.
• Senior forward Dane Stephens (Linstead, Jamaica) has also enjoyed a stellar year, ranking second on the team with 21 total points after tallying nine 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 eight goals and 21 points, while Cardinale has tallied 11 points off four goals and three assists. Coelho has dished out five assists on the year, while Milardo has racked up 13 points from six 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 seven shutouts on the season.
• Freshman Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.) leads the Blue Jays' goalkeeping core, boasting a team-best record of 9-1-3 and a team-high four shutouts. The freshman also has tallied 55 total saves, and has posted a .775 save percentage and a 1.11 goals against average
• USJ has reached the GNAC playoffs in every season since the program started play in 2018. The Blue Jays hold a 7-4 record in GNAC postseason play, winning the program's lone conference title in 2022.

SCOUTING EMMANUEL

• The Saints earned the fourth seed in the GNAC playoffs after posting a 9-3-2 mark in conference play.
• Emmanuel earned their spot in the semifinals after defeating fifth-seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine via penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.
• The Saints are paced offensively by junior midfielder Joe Anderson (Tampa, Fla.). Anderson boasts a team-best 15 points off five goals and five assists.
• Freshman defender Rafael Matamoros (Weston, Fla.) is the primary playmaker, dishing out a team-high six assists, tied for second-most in the conference.
• The trio of freshman defender Jacob Beck (Dallas, Ga.), junior forward Pierre-Paul Labossiere (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) and senior forward Joey Soucy (Attleboro, Mass.) have also been clinical in front of goal, matching Anderson's team-best five goal tally each.
• Junior Maddox Pierce (Meriden, Conn.) leads the Emmanuel goalkeeping core, starting in 12 of the Saints' 18 matches. Pierce boasts a 4-4-2 record and has notched a 1.54 GAA, .679 save percentage and 38 total saves.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Wednesday marks the seventh time that the Blue Jays and Saints meet on the pitch. 
• USJ has the edge over Emmanuel in the all-time series, leading 3-1-2.
• The meeting marks the first time that the Blue Jays and Saints will meet in the playoffs.
• The Blue Jays are unbeaten at home on the USJ Soccer Field against Emmanuel, holding a 3-0-0 record. 
• Earlier this season, the Saints defeated the Blue Jays, 2-0, at Roberto Clemente Field in Boston.

UP NEXT 
With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the GNAC Championship game, hosting the winner of the No. 2 Albertus Magnus College versus No. 3 Johnson & Wales University matchup. The Championship is set to take place on Saturday, November 9 at the site of the higher seed. 

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