Men's Soccer | 7/16/2014 11:24:00 AM
Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State men's soccer team has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success the last eight years appearing in the NCAA Tournament each season including a Final Four run in 2011 and trips to the Sectional Final each of the last two campaigns. But a schedule that includes both 2013 national championship game participants as well as a grueling conference slate will test the Red Hawks this season as they bid for a ninth consecutive NCAA bid.
From the first to the last contest of the 19-game schedule, MSU faces a tough task night and night out. Starting with the season opener at Endicott College's Gull Invitational where the Red Hawks take on Skidmore College in its season opener on Friday, August 29. The Thoroughbreds fell a game short of an NCAA bid last season falling to St. Lawrence in the Liberty League championship game. MSU will take on either Husson or host Endicott on August 30.
Following a local road game at Hunter on September 3, Montclair faces two tough contests on September 10 at Cortland and at home versus Wheaton College (IL) on September 13. Cortland, which suffered five one-goal losses in 2013, advanced to the SUNYAC Championship game while Wheaton went 17-3-2 and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
A week after the Wheaton contest, Montclair State faces it most difficult challenge taking on defending NCAA Division III champion Messiah College on September 20. The Falcons, who have won 10 of the last 13 national titles, come to Sprague Field for the first time since 1991. The end of September brings the beginning of the NJAC schedule as Montclair hosts New Jersey City University on September 24 before heading to Galloway Township for a match with Richard Stockton on November 27.
The tough conference schedule continues in October with contests at William Paterson on October 1 followed by a home date with The College of New Jersey on October 4. A non-conference game at Manhattanville on October 7 sits in between another pair of NJAC tilts at home versus Rowan and at Kean University on October 11 and October 15, respectively.
Homecoming at Montclair State on Saturday, October 18 brings a marquee matchup between conference rivals as the Red Hawks host Rutgers-Camden at 6:00 pm. The intense rivalry between the two is renewed as the Scarlet Raptors, who fell to Messiah in the Division III championship game, come to MSU Soccer Park for what figures to be another outstanding contest. Last season the two battled to a scoreless draw in the regular season and met again in the NCAA Sectional Final where Rutgers-Camden came out on top, 2-1. The two schools have been ranked in the Top 10 of the NSCAA polls each of the last three seasons.
The Rutgers-Camden game is the start of a three-game homestand for Montclair which will face York (NY) on October 20 and Ramapo on October 25. The final regular-season game for the Red Hawks figures to have plenty of drama as well as Montclair goes to Rutgers-Newark on October 29 in a game that could have plenty of implications in the NJAC standings. Also, MSU will be looking for some revenge against the Scarlet Raiders, who knocked Montclair out of the NJAC Tournament last season with a 4-1 win at MSU Soccer Park.
The NJAC Tournament begins on Saturday, November 1 with first-round action as the top two teams receive byes into the semifinals, which are set for Tuesday, November 4. The championship game is scheduled Saturday, November 8 with the winner claiming the NJAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
