Upper Montclair, NJ (10/15/03) --- Freshman forward RYAN MORGAN (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) scored two goals just over a minute apart late in the second half to boost the eighth-ranked Montclair State University men's soccer team to a 3-1 victory over New Jersey City University today at a windy MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field.

Montclair has now won six straight games dating back to Oct. 1 and improves to 13-1-2 overall, plus 4-0-2 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play. The visiting Gothic Knights fall to 11-2-2 on the year and 3-2-1 in the conference.

Following a scoreless first half, freshman forward KEVIN BURKHARDT (Clifton, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) put MSU up, 1-0, just 1:59 into the second half, scoring at the left post off a pass from sophomore forward KYLE HUGHES (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) for his third goal of the season. NJCU would tie the game less than 10 minutes later as leading scorer Pedro Prior (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) scored off a corner kick from the left side by Ronnie Sanchez (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) for his 12th goal of the campaign, at 56:30.

The contest remained tied until Morgan scored his eighth goal of the year, heading home a corner kick from the right side by MSU sophomore midfielder SEAN HORAN (Tinton Falls, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) at 75:39. Morgan then struck again at 76:53, stealing a loose ball on the left side and then scoring from 10 yards out for his team-leading ninth tally this fall. The two goals came after New Jersey City was forced to play a man down as Chris Rosenthal (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) earned his second yellow card of the match and was disqualified.

NJCU outshot MSU, 14-9, on the day, including 6-2 in the first half. The Gothic Knights also out cornered the Red Hawks, 4-2, while each team had 15 fouls.

MSU sophomore goalkeeper EDGARD DINTEN (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) finished with five saves on the afternoon, while Baba Guisse (Jersey City, NJ/Lycee Eugene) made two saves for NJCU.

Montclair State closes out a four-game homestand on Saturday, Oct. 18, when it hosts NJAC rival Kean University at 1:00 p.m. on MSU Senior Day.