Milestones Reached as Soccer Defeats Monks, 3-0

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Freshman Sara Barnick (Watertown, Conn.) scored two goals and junior Patricia Nolan (Portland, Conn.) tied the career school record for goals as the University of Saint Joseph soccer team defeated St. Joseph College, of Maine, 3-0 Wednesday in a GNAC game.

USJ won its sixth consecutive game, which tied a school winning streak record. The Blue Jays also won six games in a row from Sept. 18-Oct. 3, 2010. USJ also earned its first-ever win over St. Joseph's, having gone 0-3-2 in five previous meetings.

USJ improved to 6-1 overall and its 4-0 mark in the GNAC is tied for first place with Lasell. St. Joseph's of Maine is 3-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Barnick scored her first goal of the game, a minute, 53 seconds in. Nicole Mendelson (Southbury, Conn.) made a corner kick and Nolan, in the goalmouth, deflected it to Barnick, who drilled it home. Nolan followed next at 7:13 when she scored from eight yards, blasting in a cross from Katie Mirabella (Seymour, Conn.)

The goal was Nolan's third of the season and the 34^th in her career, which tied the Saint Joseph school record for career goals. Paige Briglia also scored 34 goals from 2007-09.  

Barnick concluded the scoring with her team-leading seventh goal of the season, an unassisted tally at 32:16.

Freshman goalkeeper Melissa Dodge (Watertown, Conn.) made 11 saves for her fourth consecutive shutout. Dodge has not allowed a goal in her last 430 minutes. She leads the GNAC with a .969 save percentage and an 0.22 goals against average.

"I'm really happy for this team to be the first to beat a quality program like St. Joe's of Maine," USJ head coach Chris LeGates said. "It was a big conference win and a big home win. Our first half was the best 45 minutes we've played this year, but we've got to keep getting better."

Saint Joseph hosts Albertus Magnus Sat. Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. as part of Tailgate Day festivities.