NCAA M. SOCCER: Monks and Huskies Duel to 1-1 Stalemate in Season Opener‏

Standish, Maine - Saint Joseph’s College (0-0-1) opened the 2015 season with a 1-1 deadlock versus University of Southern Maine (0-0-1) at Westerlea Way Field on Tuesday evening. Freshman forward Brett Mattos (Mahopac, N.Y.) netted his first collegiate goal, off an Austin Bell (Gorham, Maine) pass, in the 62nd minute to tie the game, which ended nearly 60 minutes later in a 1-1 tie.

The Huskies struck first, as freshman forward Jonathan Bobe (Portland, Maine) redirected a corner kick with a header past Monks’ senior keeper Scott Benner (Post Falls, Idaho) with 4:28 left in the first half. Senior midfielder Adam Simpson (Scarborough, Maine), who sent the ball in the box on the right corner, was credited with an assist on the play.

After a lackluster first half, the Monks kicked off the second stanza with much improved pace and sustained the effort for the remainder of the contest. Junior midfielder Johnny Thomas (Boston, Mass.) led the performance with multiple scoring chances over the first 15 minutes of the latter half, including a wide-angle shot that clanged off the left post in the 52nd minute.

Saint Joseph’s finally hit pay dirt in the 62nd minute when Bell sent a free kick into the box, finding
Mattos, who finished the play with a rocket past USM freshman keeper Simon Hulbert (Bar Harbor, Maine).

The Monks continued to apply pressure, particularly late in the second frame as the hosts tallied eight shots in the final 10 minutes of regulation, including a near miss by Bell as time expired.
With daylight waning, the pair of overtime periods featured few scoring chances for either side, with Hulbert turning away the Monks’ prime scoring chance with a stop on a Thomas bid in the 107th minute.

Hulbert made four stops in the tie for USM while Benner recorded a pair of saves on the evening.
Both teams resume action Friday, when Saint Joseph’s plays at University of New England at 7:00 PM and USM hosts Westfield State in a 4:00 PM kick-off.

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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.