Upper Montclair, NJ (10/02/02) –The Montclair State University women's soccer team suffered a 1-0 loss tonight against visiting William Paterson University at Sprague Field. Montclair is now 3-4-2 overall this season and 1-1-1 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play, while Paterson goes to 6-4 overall and 2-1 in the NJAC.

Tonight marked MSU's first game in a week, the Red Hawks' last outing coming in a 6-0 shutout of visiting Rutgers-Newark on Sept. 25. WPU avenged a 1-0 loss to MSU in Wayne, NJ last season, while also snapping Montclair's three-game unbeaten streak (1-0-2) entering tonight. The Red Hawks have now also been involved in a shutout in six consecutive outings, dating back to Sept. 14 and a 2-0 loss to Union (NY) College.

WPU junior midfielder KELLY CRUISE (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Paramus) tallied the lone goal of the game just 7:57 into the contest, corralling a bouncing ball deep on the right wing and sliding a low shot past MSU senior goalkeeper STEPHANIE ROMANKO (N. Brunswick, NJ/N. Brunswick) and inside the far post. Juniors KAT McPHAIL (Sparta, NJ/Hopatcong) and ALLISON McCARTHY (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/ Hasbrouck Heights) assisted on Cruise's goal, the first goal surrendered by MSU since a 2-0 loss at William Smith (MA) College back on Sept. 15, a span of more than three games.

Montclair's best chance of the game came with just over three-and-a-half minutes remaining in regulation when a 30-yard shot by senior LU SCARABAGGIO (Iselin, NJ/John F. Kennedy) sailed over Pioneer freshman goalkeeper MEAGHAN KOPPEL (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) only to clang off the crossbar. Koppel finished with three saves, while Romanko made five saves for Montclair, which was outshot, 13-8.