Ewing, NJ (11/8/02) — The Montclair State University women's soccer team, seeded third in the 2002 New Jersey Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament, fell to the top-seeded College of New Jersey tonight, 2-0, in the NJAC Championship Game held at Lions Stadium. The loss, which came in MSU's first-ever appearance in the conference championship contest, also snapped Montclair's three-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 30.

CARA GABAGE scored the decisive goal for TCNJ with 6:13 remaining in the first half, her 12th goal of the campaign. ERIN PIVOVARNICK then added an insurance marker for the host Lions with 10:10 remaining in regulation, with GIA ROSAMILLA assisting. TCNJ outshot MSU, 14-4, as Red Hawk senior goalkeeper STEPHANIE ROMANKO (N. Brunswick, NJ/N. Brusnwick) made four saves. The Lions (16-0-2), ranked eighth in the country, won the NJAC Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and for the eighth time in nine years. They also earned the league's automatic berth to the 2002 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament, their 12th straight NCAA bid.

The Red Hawks had advanced to the NJAC title contest with a 4-0 victory at second-seeded William Paterson University on Tuesday night. MSU is now 11-6-2 overall and will learn this weekend if it has secured its third consecutive berth to the ECAC Division III Metro Tournament, which Montclair won back in 2000. The tournament begins this Wednesday.