New Haven, Conn. – Coming off a 1-0 triumph against No. 6 seed Emmanuel in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament Quarterfinals, the third-seeded Albertus Magnus College women's soccer team is set to host No. 7 seed Suffolk in the GNAC Semifinals on Wednesday, November 2, at 5:00 pm under the lights at Celentano Field.
The Falcons enter the contest with a 10-7-1 overall record and earned the No. 3 seed and a home game in the GNAC Tournament thanks to a 7-3-1 mark in league play.
Albertus Magnus is making its 10th appearance in the GNAC Tournament, having posted a 3-7-2 mark after Sunday's shutout win. Two of the past three seasons, the team has seen its season come to an end in penalty kicks after playing to a draw. AMC is 0-1 all-time in postseason play against the Rams with the only meeting coming in 2011. The Falcons have advanced out of the first round of the league tournament for the first time since 2014.
Albertus Magnus has won five straight versus Suffolk, outscoring the Rams, 23-2, during that stretch. The last Suffolk win against Albertus Magnus came in the 2011 season when the Rams blanked the Falcons in the regular season and knocked off AMC, 2-0, in the conference semifinals. The Rams toppled No. 2 seed Johnson & Wales, 2-1, on Sunday evening in the Ocean State to advance this week's showdown.
Suffolk moved to 11-9 on the season with the win, tying the 2011 squad (11-8-1) for the second-most victories in program history. Wednesday's meeting with Albertus Magnus will mark the 21st game for the Rams, which marks the longest season for Suffolk in its 10-year history. Suffolk's annals have the 2016 squad all over the top-three with the Rams 11 game-winners ranking atop the record books. The blue and gold's numbers in goals (48), assists (34) and points (130) all rank third all-time.
It has been a record-breaking season for the Falcons, as senior midfielder Danielle Polvan (East Haven, Conn.) became the school's all-time leader in goals and points. Head Coach Nick Wajnowski also became the first coach in program history to reach 100 career wins, as he currently sits at 101. He is the winningest coach in program history and he earned his 100th win in a 7-0 whitewashing of Suffolk at home last week.
Last time out, Polvan scored the game-winner for AMC and sophomore goalkeeper Lexie Fenn (Oakville, Conn.) stopped all four shots she faced to post her fourth shutout of the fall.
Polvan leads the team this fall in goals (10), points (23), shots (61) and shots on goal (37). Junior Angelina Piccirillo (Naugatuck, Conn.) has had a breakout year for the Falcons, scoring six goal to go along with one assist for 13 points. All 13 of her points have come in GNAC play and she netted a team-best four game-winning goals. Classmate Alexya Alves (Naugatuck, Conn.) has also enjoyed success this year, totaling 13 points courtesy of five goals and a trio of helpers. Other contributors offensively have been sophomore Kerrigan Loughman (Trumbull, Conn.), junior Amanda Montano (North Haven, Conn.) and senior Liz Nagy (Meriden, Conn.). Loughman leads the team with six assists, Montano has scored five goals after missing the beginning of the season and Nagy has set new career-high in goals, assists and points this year.
Defensively, seniors Alexis Mack (Meriden, Conn.), Taylor Rotella (Milford, Conn.) and Bridget Judd (Branford, Conn.) along with juniors Piccirillo and Nikki Kern (Wallingford, Conn.) have anchored the Falcon backline this year. The Albertus Magnus defense ranked third in the conference in goals-against average and recorded six shutouts. The team was one of three in the league that allowed less than one goal per game.
In net, Fenn has played solid all autumn. In her first season as a starter, Fenn has posted a 1.47 goals-against average with 66 saves, a .767 save percentage, four shutouts and an 8-7-1 record. All four of her clean sheets came in conference play in 2016. She currently ranks fourth in program history in shutouts and sixth in saves.
***The first 100 fans with valid student ID's will get a free T-Shirt! Report to the scoreboard to collect your shirts starting at 4:00 pm!***
