Upper Montclair, NJ (10/05/02) - The Montclair State University men's soccer team recorded its eighth shutout of the 2002 season with an 8-0 blanking of Neumann (PA) College today at MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field.
Junior back STEVE LEONARD (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) tallied his first three goals of the campaign to lead the Red Hawks, while MSU senior and top scorer ATIBA YUSUF (East Orange, NJ/East Orange) added a goal and two assists. MSU improves to 8-2-2 overall, while Neumann falls to 3-10.
Leonard opened the scoring for MSU at 4:21 of the first period with his first goal of the fall, and Yusuf made it a 2-0 game at 42:05 with his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Yusuf then set up Leonard with six seconds remaining in the first half for a 3-0 MSU lead. ANDREW MACHO (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) scored his fourth goal of the year at 44:54 to make it 4-0 for the Red Hawks, before Leonard completed his hat trick at 58:50. Montclair then got goals from freshman ANTHONY TOMASSO (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), RAFAEL PARCHARDO and FERNANDO YEAGER (Bloomfield, NJ/Brazil) in the final 29 minutes of play for the 8-0 final, with Yeager converting on a penalty shot at 83:48 to close out the scoring.
Senior back ANDREW ANGORANO(Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) finished with two assists for MSU, while goaltenders CHRIS OWEN (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) and PHILLIP BATTIATO (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) combined for the shutout. Owen made two saves as MSU outshot the visiting Knights, 23-4, overall.
The Red Hawks will now host Centenary College on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 1:00 p.m. in another non-conference matchup at MSU Soccer Park. Montclair is 6-1-1 outside the NJAC this season, and 5-0-1 at home overall.
