Posted: Apr 25, 2026
Johnson, Oakes Power Men’s Lacrosse Past Dean, 21–10, in GNAC Quarterfinals
Dean
(9-7)
10
Saint Joseph (Conn.)
(14-2)
21
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dean (9-7) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
|
Saint Joseph (Conn.) (14-2) | 7 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 21 |
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The second-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's lacrosse team overwhelmed seventh‑seeded Dean College, 21–10, Saturday afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Lacrosse Tournament Quarterfinals at the USJ Lacrosse Field.
Senior attack Freeman Johnson (Swanzey, N.H.) and sophomore attack Dominic Oakes (Southington, Conn.) turned in career performances, as Johnson netted a career‑high eight goals while Oakes dished out a personal‑best nine assists.
With the win, the Blue Jays improved to 14–2 overall and advanced to the GNAC Semifinals for the fourth consecutive season, while the Bulldogs concluded their year at 9–7 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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USJ wasted little time getting on the board, as Johnson opened the scoring at the 14:35 mark of the first quarter. The Blue Jays quickly doubled the lead just under a minute later, with graduate student attack Brycen Kennedy (Southington, Conn.) finishing an unassisted tally to make it 2–0.
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Johnson struck again at the 9:40 mark, followed by a goal from junior defenseman Mason Koloski (Lincoln, R.I.) off a feed from junior faceoff specialist Benjamin Bausch (Holliston, Mass.), stretching the advantage to 4–0 midway through the opening quarter.
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The offensive surge continued as senior attack Nick Pestrichello (Newington, Conn.), freshman midfielder Brady Stevens (Laconia, N.H.), and junior midfielder Brenden Tedeschi (Orange, Vt.) each found the back of the net in a span of just under two minutes, capping a 7–0 run to open the game.
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Dean got on the board at the 4:13 mark of the first and carried momentum late in the quarter, scoring four goals in the final minutes to cut the deficit to 7–5 after one.
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USJ responded immediately in the second, as Pestrichello opened the quarter with an unassisted goal before Johnson added back‑to‑back scores to push the lead to 10–5.
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After a brief Dean response, the Blue Jays continued to press the advantage. Pestrichello and Tedeschi each added goals, while Johnson scored twice more to complete his six‑goal first half and help USJ take a 14–9 lead into halftime.
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The Blue Jays maintained control in the third quarter, with Pestrichello and Johnson each tallying to extend the lead to 16–9.
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USJ put the game out of reach early in the fourth, as Tedeschi, Pestrichello, and Kennedy scored three straight goals to build a 19–10 cushion. Johnson added a man‑up goal in the final minute, and Pestrichello followed with his sixth goal of the game to close out the 21–10 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Johnson led all scorers with a career‑high eight goals.
- Pestrichello added six goals and collected five ground balls.
- Oakes orchestrated the offense with a career‑best nine assists.
- Tedeschi totaled four points (three goals, one assist), while Kennedy added three points (two goals, one assist).
- Bausch went 9‑for‑25 at the faceoff X and scooped up a team‑high seven ground balls.
- Koloski caused a team‑high three turnovers, while senior defenseman Nick Wesley (Wakefield, Mass.) added five ground balls.
- Junior goalkeeper Noah Isleib (Easton, Mass.) earned the win to improve to 13–2 after making 16 saves.
UP NEXT
The second‑seeded Blue Jays continue their quest for a second GNAC Championship by hosting sixth‑seeded Saint Joseph's College of Maine in the GNAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday, April 29. Opening faceoff at the USJ Lacrosse Field in West Hartford is set for 6:00 p.m.
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