Women's Soccer Concludes Regular Season With 1-1 Draw Versus Monks

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – In its 2023 regular-season finale, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) played to a 1-1 draw versus the visiting Saint Joseph's College (SJC) Monks, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's soccer action Tuesday afternoon at the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. With the result, the Blue Jays conclude the regular season 8-6-3 overall and 8-4-3 in GNAC play, while the Monks move to 6-6-5 overall and 6-4-5 in the conference. Additionally, USJ locks up a berth to the GNAC Women's Soccer Postseason Tournament and will be the sixth seed and travel to third seed Lasell University for a GNAC Quarterfinal match on Saturday, October 28th. It marks the 23rd straight season the Blue Jays have made the postseason tournament.

KEY MOMENTS

• The Blue Jays opened the match on fire, generating three solid scoring chances in the first three minutes of the contest. Just 35 seconds in, graduate student midfielder Elizabeth Garlock (Meriden, Conn.) had an early go on net that was batted away by SJC's senior goalkeeper Carly Downey (Yarmouth, Maine), creating a USJ corner kick.
• Off the corner, the Monks couldn't fully clear it and junior midfielder Jenna Zup (Berlin, Conn.) gathered a loose ball and turned and ripped a shot on frame, but it was handled easily by Downey.
• Just over a minute later, senior midfielder Jelly Frigo (Hartford, Conn.) found herself on the end of a loose ball just outside the 18-yard box and launched a shot with her right foot that sailed just over the crossbar to keep the match scoreless.
• USJ kept its foot on the gas and broke through moments later with the game's opening strike in the fifth minute. After the Blue Jays were awarded their second corner kick of the contest, Frigo stepped up to take the set piece and sent in a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. It found the top of the head of sophomore forward Christina Quitoni (Patchogue, N.Y.) at the near post, and she redirected it just enough for it to hit off the inside of far post and into the back of the net at the 4:05 mark of the first half.
• The next 20-plus minutes were mostly played in the midfield, however the Monks began to gain some footing in the match and produced the next three shots, as they began to shift the momentum. SJC was unable to put anything on target, but its best attempt during that span came from sophomore midfielder Kate Russell (Kennebunk, Maine) when her shot went just high at the 25:10 mark.
• The Monks continued to create chances and registered their first shot on goal 29:25 into the match when senior defender Darcy Wright (Salem, N.H.) intercepted a pass and drove a low shot with her left foot that was deflected away and over the endline by USJ's freshman goalkeeper Madison Corcoran (Bristol, Conn.), to give the Monks their first corner of the day.
• After the corner was cleared away, SJC used some nice combination passing to immediately put pressure back on USJ's defensive unit. SJC's senior forward Aaliyah WilsonFalcone (Winthrop, Maine) laid a pass back to sophomore midfielder Lelia Weir (Bar Harbor, Maine) who rifled a long-range shot from the right wing, but Corcoran was there to deny the opportunity, coral the rebound, and preserve the USJ lead.
• The Monks found the equalizer a few minutes later with a goal in the 38th minute. Pressuring USJ's backline after a throw-in, SJC's senior forward Tatum Hancock (Damariscotta, Maine) stole the ball and had a one-on-one situation with Corcoran. Hancock's lefty shot was brilliantly saved by USJ's freshman keeper, but the rebound ricocheted right to a charging WilsonFalcone, who deposited her shot into a wide-open goal to level the game entering halftime.
• The Monks created the first scoring chances coming out of the intermission with back-to-back shots on goal in the 48th minute. A through ball once again found WilsonFalcone whose point-blank shot was stopped by Corcoran with two hands. Seconds later, WilsonFalcone tracked down the rebound off her shot and slipped a pass over to Russell inside the 18-yard box and she had a go, but Corcoran stood tall once again with a diving save to keep the match level in the early stages of the second stanza.
• In the 59th minute, sophomore defender Zoe Zappone (Plymouth, Conn.) was driving toward goal before being taken down just outside the penalty area. Zup stepped up to take the spot kick and ripped a line drive shot, but it went right into the arms of Downey.
• The Blue Jays had a golden opportunity to take the lead at the 69-minute mark. Following a foul just outside 18-yard box on the left side, Zup played a low crossing pass across the goalmouth before the SJC defense was set and found Baressi unmarked with a one-on-one situation with SJC's goalie, but her point-blank shot arched just over the crossbar.
• With less than seven minutes to play, the Blue Jays had one last great scoring opportunity. Garlock muscled her way down the right side of the field before settling the ball behind SJC's back four in the right corner. She crossed a pass all the way across the goalmouth to a wide open Zup at the far post, but her shot was miraculously saved by Downey to preserve the draw.

NOTES

• The Blue Jays narrowly outshot the Monks overall, 11-10. However, the Monks edged out the Blue Jays in shots on goal, 7-5.
• Zup paced USJ's offensive attack with a game-high four shots, including a game-best three shots on goal. Russell led the Monks with three shots.
• USJ held a slight edge in corner kick opportunities, 4-2.
• It marked the first goal of the season and first career goal for USJ's Quitoni, while WilsonFalcone potted her ninth of the 2023 campaign for SJC.
• Corcoran played the full 90 minutes between the posts for the Blue Jays and made six saves. With the result, her record moves to 8-5-3 on the year.
• Downey also played the full time in goal for the Monks and finished with four saves. Her record moves to 5-6-5 on the season with the tie.

UP NEXT

Women's soccer begins its quest for its first-ever GNAC Championship and will be the sixth seed in the upcoming GNAC Women's Soccer Postseason Tournament. The Blue Jays are set to take on third-seeded Lasell University in the GNAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, October 28th. Kickoff between the Blue Jays and Lasers is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Taylor Field in Newton, Mass.

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