WINTHROP, Mass. - Late game heroics played in the favors of top-seed University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) and No. 3 seed Johnson & Wales as they needed extra time to earn their spot in the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title game, setting up a rematch from the 2022 title game for Saturday, Nov. 9. The Blue Jays got the best of the Wildcats in 2022, 2-1, and defeated them this past season as well, 4-1, a few weeks ago to determine the top spot in this year's tournament on Oct. 23 in regular season play.

Top-seed USJ was in a scoreless battle with No. 4 seed Emmanuel for the first two halves, forcing extra time for both teams. After a critical Emmanuel foul in the box at the 99:19 mark, the Blue Jays were rewarded a penalty kick attempt in which the Blue Jays successfully converted on, taking the 1-0 victory over the Saints and punch their ticket into the GNAC title game on Saturday. 

Despite being down 0-2 to No. 2 seed Albertus Magnus with a little over 20 minutes left in regulation, JWU still had fight left in them as they forced overtime with two crucial goals at the 80 and 85 minute marks. After both teams failed to end it in the first overtime, a second overtime was set. At 4:32 into the period, a JWU corner-kick ricocheted off bodies and found its way into the net, giving the Wildcats the upset victory, 3-2.

#1 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) def. #4 Emmanuel, 1-0 (OT)

Recap courtesy of the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Athletic Communications Department

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Graduate student midfielder Henry McGarrah V (Hartford, Conn.) netted a game-winning penalty kick in overtime, lifting the top-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) men's soccer team over fourth-seeded Emmanuel College, 1-0, Wednesday evening during the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinals at the USJ Soccer Field in West Hartford, Conn. The victory secured the Blue Jays' spot in the GNAC Championship game - which is set for Saturday, November 9th at USJ - for the second time in program history, and first since 2022. With the win, the Blue Jays improved to 13-4-3 on the year, while the Saints concluded their 2024 campaign at 10-6-3 overall.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The opening 45 minutes of play was a tale of two halves, as Emmanuel dominated the opening stretch of the game, forcing three saves out of freshman netminder Will Slayton (Manchester, Conn.).
• The Blue Jays would control the second portion of the stanza, generating a few clear-cut opportunities themselves, but could not find the back of the net either, as the game remained scoreless entering the halftime break.
• The second half was nearly an exact replica of the first, as Emmanuel dominated the opening portion, before USJ controlled the remainder of the half. Neither team could find the back of the net though, sending the game into overtime.
• USJ was awarded the chance to win the game in the extra period of play, as senior forward Dane Stephens (Linstead, Jamaica) was brought down inside the box at the 99:19 mark, earning a penalty kick. McGarrah V stepped up to take the spot kick, sending the Emmanuel goalkeeper the wrong way, winning the contest for USJ, 1-0.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• McGarrah V netted his team-leading 12th goal of the season.
• Slayton was stellar in goal, recording five saves to post his sixth shutout of the season.
• With the win, the Blue Jays remain a perfect 4-0-0 all-time at home against the Saints.

UP NEXT

The top-seeded Blue Jays will vie for their second GNAC title in program history, hosting third-seeded Johnson & Wales University in the GNAC Championship on Saturday, November 9th in West Hartford. Kickoff between the Blue Jays and Wildcats from the USJ Soccer Field is yet to be determined. Stay tuned to www.usjbluejays.com for updates.

#3 Johnson & Wales def. #2 Albertus Magnus, 3-2 (2OT)

Recap courtesy of the Johnson & Wales Athletic Communications Department

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior Chad Parente sent a corner kick into the back of the net 4:32 into the second overtime as the No. 3 seed JWU (Providence) men's soccer team rallied from a two-goal deficit with less than 10 minutes remaining to stun No. 2 Albertus Magnus 3-2 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semifinal action Wednesday night at Celentano Field.

Graduate student Aidan Bagley and junior Carlos Andrade scored 5:18 apart in the second half to send the Wildcats (15-2-3) to the conference championship match for the third-consecutive season, where they will face top-seeded St. Joseph's (ME) on Saturday in Maine.

Less than three minutes after longtime JWU head coach David Kulik received a red card late in the first half, the Falcons grabbed the lead on a goal by Julius McNeil at 41:42. The home team then doubled their lead on a PK goal from Aiden Coelho at 68:12 following a yellow card to senior Brian Miller.

JWU finally caught a break late in the second half when a yellow card to the Falcons led to a PK goal from Bagley – his team-leading 12th of the season and seventh penalty kick tally – to bring the visitors within one. One minute later, Albertus Magnus' Gabriel Paglia was accessed a second yellow, leaving his team down one student-athlete for the remainder of the match. Senior Conner Elliott then set up Andrade for the tying marker at 85:57 which sent the match to OT.

The Wildcats outshot the Falcons 3-0 in the first extra session before capitalizing on their seventh corner kick of the match in the second overtime. Parente sent a kick from right corner nearest the JWU bench and it ricocheted off bodies and into the net, setting off a frenzy and leaving Falcons student-athletes in disbelief.

The match featured 10 yellow cards and three red cards, the last of which was issued to the Albertus Magnus bench at the conclusion of the match. The Wildcats closed the night with a 23-13 edge in shots – including a 19-4 edge over the final 59:32. JWU graduate student Sean Furtek – replacing injured senior goalkeeper Declan Caster – closed the night with one save as he improved to 5-0-0 on the season.