STANDISH, Maine – #6 Saint Joseph's College (10-8, 7-4 GNAC) will play at #2 University of Saint Joseph (14-2, 10-1 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's lacrosse tournament semifinal this evening at 6:00 PM.
GAME COVERAGE: LIVE STATS | VIDEO
2026 GNAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by higher seeds)
- #1 Rivier def. #8 Regis, 15-4
- #2 University of Saint Joseph def. #7 Dean, 21-10
- #6 Saint Joseph's def. #3 Lasell, 7-6
- #5 Norwich def. #4 Emmanuel, 19-5
Semifinals – Wednesday, April 29 (Hosted by remaining higher seeds)
- #1 Rivier vs. #5 Norwich – 7:30 PM
- #2 University of Saint Joseph vs. #6 Saint Joseph's - 6:00 PM
Championship – Saturday, May 2 (Hosted by highest remaining seed)
Semifinal Winners – TBD
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Saint Joseph's earned its quarterfinal upset behind timely scoring, elite goaltending, and clutch execution in key moments. Joseph Kiedaisch gave the Monks an early lead, while Jack Leach scored twice — including a late third-quarter goal that pushed the advantage to 4-2. Jon Elliott also played a key role with two goals and an assist, and Aidan Byrne set up a pair of important scores.
After Lasell rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter, Elliott tied the game before Nicolas Michaud put Saint Joseph's back in front. Following a last-second Lasell equalizer, Maxwell Plunske delivered the game-winner in overtime off a Kiedaisch feed. Sophomore netminder Jake Dernier anchored the win with a career-high 22 saves.
University of Saint Joseph advanced to the semifinal round behind a dominant offensive showing, overwhelming Dean with a 21-10 quarterfinal victory. Freeman Johnson powered the attack with a career-high eight goals, while Dominic Oakes orchestrated the offense with a career-best nine assists. Nick Pestrichello added six goals and five ground balls, and Brenden Tedeschi and Brycen Kennedy combined for five goals and two assists.
The Blue Jays opened the game with seven straight goals and, after Dean cut the deficit to 7-5, answered with another surge to take a 14-9 lead into halftime. USJ controlled the second half defensively, allowing just one goal after the break. Noah Isleib made 16 saves in the win, while Benjamin Bausch and Mason Koloski helped lead the possession and defensive efforts.
HOW THEY STACK UP*
Saint Joseph's entered postseason play with a strong statistical profile, ranking third in man-up percentage (30.6%), goals allowed (72), goals-against average (6.58), and faceoff percentage (66.2%) in conference play. The Monks also rank fourth in clear percentage (84.6%) and fifth in shooting percentage (32.3%) and shots on goal percentage (61.6%).
University of Saint Joseph began postseason play with several top-tier conference marks, ranking first in shots (550) and shots on goal (346). The Blue Jays also rank second in man-up goals (16), man-up percentage (47.1%), caused turnovers (129), and faceoff percentage (70.1%), while sitting third in assists (104), shots on goal percentage (62.9%), ground balls (444), and clear percentage (84.7%). USJ also ranks fourth in goals (163), goals per game (14.82), fewest goals allowed (83), and GAA (7.51).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Saint Joseph's features a balanced offensive attack led by Nicolas Michaud, who has tallied 68 points on a team-high 53 goals with 15 assists. Brandon Cavicchi has also posted 68 points with 44 goals and a team-best 24 assists, while Joseph Kiedaisch has added 25 goals, 23 assists, and 48 points. Noah Schaeffer has been another key contributor with 25 goals and 13 assists.
In the possession game, Zander Kirk leads the Monks with 97 ground balls and 135 faceoff wins, while Cody Southwick has added 75 ground balls and 129 faceoff victories. Defensively, Kevin Wood has been a standout with 31 caused turnovers and 41 ground balls, while Tony Samiotes has contributed 19 caused turnovers and 38 ground balls and Alec Henry has added 17 caused turnovers with 32 ground balls.
In goal, Reed Wescott has logged a team-high 705 minutes with 100 saves, a 9.87 goals-against average, and a 46.3% save percentage. More recently, Jake Dernier has stepped into the starting role and owns 58 saves, a 7.02 GAA, and a 64.4% save percentage over 273:41 in net.
University of Saint Joseph features a high-powered and balanced offensive attack led by Nick Pestrichello, who paces the team with 64 points on 50 goals and 14 assists. Dominic Oakes has been the primary facilitator with 29 assists and 52 points, while Brenden Tedeschi adds 33 goals and 39 points. Freeman Johnson has also been highly efficient with 30 goals and 33 points, shooting over 50%, and Adam Pelletier contributes 30 points with a balanced scoring and playmaking presence .
In the possession game, Benjamin Bausch has been a key factor with 91 ground balls and a team-best 118 faceoff wins, while Brycen Kennedy has added 27 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers, helping drive USJ's defensive pressure. In goal, Noah Isleib has been outstanding, posting a 7.09 goals-against average with 149 saves and a 61.1% save percentage while earning 13 wins
ON THE SIDELINES
Saint Joseph's: Matt Gilbert (2nd season, 17-17, .500)
University of Saint Joseph: Andrew Fink (22nd season, 7th at USJ, 236-133, .640)
EARLIER THIS SEASON
April 18, 2026: USJ def. SJC, 12-10 (West Hartford, Conn.)
Saint Joseph's College dropped a hard-fought 8-7 decision to the University of Saint Joseph on Saturday, April 18.
The Monks built momentum early, taking a 2-1 lead after the opening quarter behind goals from Nicolas Michaud and Noah Schaeffer. After Joseph Kiedaisch extended the lead in the second, USJ answered with three straight goals to take a 4-3 edge into halftime. Saint Joseph's responded in the third, as Kiedaisch and Chase Ranger fueled a four-goal quarter — including three tallies from Ranger — to give the Monks a 7-5 advantage entering the fourth.
The Blue Jays rallied in the final period behind goals from Nick Pestrichello and Brenden Tedeschi before Freeman Johnson scored the game-winner with 58 seconds remaining. Dominic Oakes added two goals and an assist in the win. Jake Dernier made 15 saves for the Monks, who were outshot 45-28 in the setback.
SERIES HISTORY
With the loss, Saint Joseph's fell to 1-5 all-time against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.).
*Versus GNAC opponents
