No. 1 Men's Soccer Hosts No. 3 Johnson & Wales in GNAC Championship Game Saturday

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The top-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team will vie for the program's second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title, hosting third-seeded Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in the GNAC Championship game Saturday afternoon in West Hartford, Conn. Kickoff between the Blue Jays and Wildcats is set for 12:00 p.m. from the USJ Soccer Field.
 
#1 USJ BLUE JAYS (13-4-3, 10-1-3 GNAC) vs. #3 JWU WILDCATS (15-2-3, 10-1-3 GNAC) 
LOCATION: USJ Soccer Field (West Hartford, Conn.) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Nov. 9 (12 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 championship game for the second time in program history after first defeating ninth-seeded Regis College, 5-0, in the quarterfinals on Saturday, before besting fourth-seeded Emmanuel College, 1-0, in overtime during the semifinals Wednesday night.
• 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 (31), goals scored (12) 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 22 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 eight shutouts on the season.
• Freshman Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.) leads the Blue Jays' goalkeeping core, boasting a team-best record of 10-1-3 and a team-high six shutouts. The freshman also has tallied 60 total saves, and has posted a .789 save percentage and a 1.03 goals against average
• USJ has reached the GNAC playoffs in every season since the program started play in 2018. The Blue Jays hold a 8-4 record in GNAC postseason play, winning the program's lone conference title in 2022.

SCOUTING JWU

• The Wildcats earned the third seed in the GNAC playoffs after posting a 10-1-3 mark in conference play.
• JWU earned their spot in the championship game after defeating sixth-seeded Anna Maria in overtime, 3-2, in the quarterfinals and second-seeded Albertus Magnus College in double overtime, 3-2, in the semifinals.
• The Wildcats are making its third straight appearance in the conference championship game, and 15th in program history.
• JWU has won a GNAC best 10 conference championships.
• The Wildcats are paced offensively by graduate student midfielder Aidan Bagley (Cumberland, R.I.). Bagley has tallied a team-high 29 points off 12 goals and five assists.
• The duo of senior midfielder Conner Elliott (Mansfield, Mass.) and junior forward Carlos Andrade (Cranston, R.I.) are the primary playmakers, dishing out a team-high six assists each.
• Senior goalkeeper Declan Caster (Charlestown, R.I.) leads the goalkeeping core, starting in 15 matches. Caster boasts a 10-2-3 record, keeping seven shutouts with 51 total saves, a .810 save percentage and a 0.92 GAA.
• Graduate student netminder Sean Furtek (Wayne, N.J.) has played both playoff games for the Wildcats. He has recorded 18 saves on the year and sports a .720 save percentage and a 1.09 GAA.

INSIDE THE SERIES 

• Saturday marks the tenth time that the Blue Jays and Wildcats meet on the pitch. 
• JWU has the edge over USJ in the all-time series, leading 6-2-1.
• The meeting marks the fourth time that the Blue Jays and Wildcats will meet in the playoffs.
• The game is a rematch of the 2022 GNAC Championship game, which saw USJ defeat JWU, 2-1, in Providence, R.I.
• The Wildcats are unbeaten at home on the USJ Soccer Field against USJ, holding a 3-0-0 record. 
• Earlier this season, the Blue Jays defeated the Wildcats, 4-1, at the Scotts-Miracle Gro Compelx in Providence, R.I.

UP NEXT 

With a victory, the Blue Jays would advance to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament for the second time in program history. USJ would learn its fate during the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Selection Show, which will air on NCAA.com on Monday, November 11th at 1:30 p.m.

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