Upper Montclair, NJ (11/15/03) – Freshman RYAN MORGAN (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) scored the game-winner with 7:08 remaining to cap a three-goal rally in the final 23:10 as third-seeded Montclair State knocked off seventh seeded New Jersey City, 3-2, in the semifinals of the ECAC Division III Metro Men's Soccer Tournament at Sprague Field on Saturday evening.

Freshman KEVIN BURKHARDT (Clifton, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) had a goal and an assist for the Red Hawks (15-3-4), who will face fourth-seeded Ramapo in the championship game on Sunday, November 16 at MSU. It will be the second straight season Montclair has reached the ECAC title game. Last year, Montclair State fell to Stevens Tech, 1-0 in double overtime. The Red Hawks won the ECAC title in 1988 and 1993 and finished runner-up four times (1994, 1997, 2000, 2002). MSU and Ramapo played to a scoreless tie on September 27th in Mahwah.

The Gothic Knights' (13-7-2) Chris Rosenthal (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) scored twice in a 10-minute span to put NJCU up 2-0. His first goal came on a beautiful bicycle-kick that found the net at the 53:03 mark to break the scoreless tie. Following the goal, the Gothic Knights then went a man down as Adrian Ruiz (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) was awarded his second yellow card of the match. Despite the being a man down, NJCU was able to extend the lead as Rosenthal headed in a pass for his ninth goal of the season.

But the man-advantage proved to be key for Montclair State as it climbed back into the match in the 67th minute. Illyas Tasci (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) chipped a pass into the scoring area where Burkhardt tapped in a shot past goalkeeper Baba Guisse (Jersey City, NJ/Lycree Eugene Delacroix (France)). Then with 12 minutes to play, MATT CASWELL (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) was fouled in the scoring area and awarded a penalty kick that he converted to tie the game at 2-2 with 12:05 remaining. Morgan would complete MSU's rally with his team-leading 11th goal of the season, a shot from the left side that caromed off the inside part of the far post and into the net. Guisse made three saves for NJCU while MSU netminder DAVID AVILES (Dover, NJ/Dover) had four saves for Montclair State. MSU outshot New Jersey City, 20-10.

It was the second time this season that Montclair had beaten the Gothic Knights. MSU posted a 3-1 win on October 15 at MSU Soccer Park. In that contest, the game was tied at 1-1 before the Gothic Knights went a man down after Rosenthal received the second of his two yellow cards. The Red Hawks then scored twice for the victory. Today's win helped Montclair extend its unbeaten streak over NJCU to 19 games. MSU last lost to New Jersey City on September 24, 1986. Included in that streak was a 1-0 win over NJCU in the 2000 ECAC Metro Tournament semifinals.