Midweek Match Sends Men’s Soccer to #15/17 St. Joseph’s (Maine) Wednesday

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's soccer team is set for a midweek road trip Wednesday, Sept. 19 as it makes the trip to No. 17 Saint Joseph's (Maine) for a 6 p.m. GNAC battle.

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LAST TIME OUT
Suffolk men's soccer scored all three of its goals over a 2:41 minute span in the first frame and never relinquished the lead to take down Lasell, 3-1, Saturday afternoon at James A. Sartori Stadium at East Boston Memorial Park.

MORE READING: First Frame Pushes Men's Soccer Past Lasell, 3-1

RAMS RUNDOWN
Suffolk scored three goals in less than three minutes Sept. 15 to move to 2-4 on the season and 2-1 against league foes. 

Leonardo Acosta and James Fisher have paced the Rams' 11-goal offense with the freshman and junior registering three each. Acosta leads the team in points as well with a team-best two assists.

Rookie Tom Bennett stepped into the starting role Saturday for the first time in his career. The freshman keeper brings in a .714 save percentage and a 1.57 goals-against average. David Haines has seen a significant amount of time in net for the Rams as well with the senior boasting a .682 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average.

MONKS MENTIONABLES
St. Joseph's (Maine), who comes in at No. 15 in the D3Soccer.com poll and No. 17 in the Sept. 11 edition of the United Soccer Coaches Division III poll, heads into Wednesday's tilt unbeaten on the season, 7-0, and 3-0 in conference contests. 

Dating back to Oct. 1, 2016 St. Joseph's (Maine)'s defense did not concede a goal to a GNAC foe in 23 contests until last Saturday when standout netminder Blake Mullen let the Wildcats of Johnson & Wales sneak past his gloves. The one-marker would not be enough to take down the conference favorite, however, as they rallied with three consecutive scores to keep their ledger unblemished. 

Mullen holds an outstanding 0.29 goals-against career average and an impressive.901 save percentage through his four seasons with SJC. This year, as the senior, he brings in a 0.16 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Sophomore David Walbridge is following in Mullen's footsteps with nearly 80 minutes of scoreless action over three games. 

To match its defense, the Monks offense is also the top in the league with 24 goals scored through seven contests. Brett Mattos' five goals anchor the attack unit, while Cody Elliott (2g, 5a) and Austin Ward (3g, 2a) consistently add to the effort.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• In a series that began in 2007, Suffolk trails, 4-9-1.
• The Monks have taken the last five meetings including a 1-0 victory over the blue-and-gold in the GNAC Quarterfinals a year ago, Oct. 29, 2017
• Overall, seven games have been decided in shutout fashion with SJC owning seven of those victories.
• Two outings needed extra time to determine a winner. The Monks took the last OT contest, a 1-0 win in 2015. The first-ever overtime outcome between the Rams and Monks ended in a 1-1 double OT tie Sept. 26, 2012.

EYES ON THE GAME

GNAC GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Tom Bennett of the Suffolk men's soccer team has been named GNAC Goaltender of the Week after his first collegiate start and win last week.

MORE READING: Bennett Garners GNAC Goaltender of the Week

LOOKING AHEAD
Suffolk returns to the friendly confines of East Boston Memorial Park's James A. Sartori Stadium Saturday, Sept. 22 for the first-ever meeting with Saint Joseph (Conn.) The 12 p.m. contest opens a Suffolk soccer doubleheader with the women's team taking on the Blue Jays at 3 p.m.