STANDISH, Maine – Junior Zander Haskell (Scarborough, Maine) scored three unanswered goals to help #4 Saint Joseph's College (8-8-1, 7-4-1 GNAC) overcome an early deficit and defeat #5 Dean College (8-9-2, 7-5-0 GNAC), 3-1, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Soccer Tournament Quarterfinal at the SJC Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With the triumph, Saint Joseph's advances to the semifinal round and will travel to face top-seeded University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, with a berth in the GNAC Championship on the line. The loss brings an end to the 2025 campaign for Dean College.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Dean jumped ahead early off a turnover in the box, as freshman Brody Cook (Syracuse, N.Y.) corralled a loose ball and slipped a shot into an open net in the 8th minute.
The Monks quickly regrouped and seized control behind the relentless play of their attacking front. Haskell netted the equalizer in the 23rd minute with a composed finish from close range, then struck again just before halftime to give Saint Joseph's a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
The Monks continued to dictate tempo in the second half, firing 11 shots and keeping the Bulldogs on their heels. Haskell capped his first collegiate hat trick in the 59th minute when he cleaned up a rebound off a Nick Marion (Windham, Maine) shot to secure the 3-1 victory.
TEAM STATS:
Saint Joseph's held commanding advantages in shots (20–4) and shots on goal (14–2), while both sides attempted five corner kicks.
THE KEEPERS:
Logan Davis (Naples, Maine) stopped one shot to earn the win for Saint Joseph's while Jake Godwin (Norwalk, Conn.) recorded nine saves to keep Dean within reach.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
The Monks improve to 6-0-0 all-time against Dean College with the postseason victory.