Haverford, PA (08/30/03) - Junior forward SHIRAH ODEH (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) scored in the 87th minute as the Montclair State women's soccer team opened its 2003 season with a 1-0 victory over Lynchburg College at the Haverford Kickoff Classic held at Haverford College on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Hawks (1-0-0) advance to the Championship Game on Sunday, August 31st where they will face host Haverford College at 1:30 pm. Haverford defeated Arcadia College, 3-2, in a game that was called with four minutes remaining due to lightning.

This is the second time in the last four years that MSU has reached the title contest at the tournament. Last season, Montclair finished third. MSU won the Haverford Kickoff Classic in 2001 as it defeated Haveford, 1-0, in the championship game on a goal by Odeh.

Montclair snapped the scoreless tie when STEPHANIE SANTOS (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park) lofted a corner kick into the scoring area where STEPHANIE SABALIAUSKAS (Edison, NJ/Mt. St. Mary Academy) flipped the ball to Odeh. Odeh, who tallied six goals last season, then headed the ball into the back of the net past Lynchburg goalkeeper Katie DeLorenzo.

Junior SUSAN HINDS (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), making her first career start, stopped four shots as she recorded the shutout. Hinds took over in goal for MSU this season following the graduation of All-American STEPHANIE ROMANKO, who played an NCAA Division III record 7,842 minutes from 1999-2002.

DeLorenzo had three saves for Lynchburg, which was outshot in the contest, 10-5.