STANDISH, Maine – Lasell College (2-3-0, 1-0-0 GNAC) edged Saint Joseph's College (1-6-0, 0-1-0 GNAC), 1-0, in a hard fought Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's soccer match at Westerlea Way Field on Saturday afternoon.

Despite several scoring opportunities from both sides, the evenly played contest stood at a 0-0 standstill until the 83rd minute when Lasell junior Conor Fitzgerald (Marshfield, Mass.) collected a loose ball at the top of the 18 and drove a strike to the bottom left corner for the game's lone goal.

Saint Joseph's had several excellent scoring opportunities in the opening minute of play. Just 34 seconds into the contest, sophomore Victor Santos (Framingham, Mass.) outraced a defender down the right side and delivered a well-placed shot that was denied by Lasell keeper Miguel Colmenares (Caracas, Venezuela), who made a nice diving save. The rebound squirted out to the left to sophomore Jack Murray (Hingham, Mass.), who struck a bouncing ball right into the arms of Colmenares.

Although their contributions do not show in the box score, it is worth mentioning that junior Nate Fox (South Portland, Maine) and sophomore Sean Baker (Medfield, Mass.) both played exceptionally well in what many may call the Monks' best effort so far this fall. Fox, a defender, was key in a shutout effort that was nullified in the 83rd minute, and Baker, a midfielder, was involved in all facets of the game.

Overall, Saint Joseph's held an 11-10 advantage in shots and a 3-2 lead in corner kicks in the loss. Junior goalkeeper Scott Benner made three saves on the afternoon while Colmenares registered six stops, including several diving plays.

With the loss, Saint Joseph's falls to 2-9 in the history of the series with Lasell College, a team that defeated the Monks by a 3-0 score in Newton, Massachusetts last season.

Saint Joseph's returns to the pitch tomorrow with a home contest versus Husson University at 2:30 PM. Lasell hosts GNAC-rival Albertus Magnus College next Saturday at 2:30 PM.

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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 430-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.