Upper Montclair, NJ (9/13/03) - Senior forward SARAH LEVINE scored the final three goals, including the game-winner with :01 seconds remaining in the second overtime as 17th-ranked Montclair State shocked No. 1 ranked The College of New Jersey, 4-3, in New Jersey Athletic Conference Field Hockey action at a rainy Sprague Field on Saturday evening.
The victory is just MSU's second against the Lions since 1980 with the other coming two years ago when MSU (3-0, 1-0 NJAC) eerily defeated the Lions by the same score at home, snapping a string of 38 consecutive losses to TCNJ (5-1, 0-1 NJAC).
The game appeared headed for penalty strokes when MSU made one last rush in the closing seconds. The Red Hawks put the ball into the scoring area where LEA SMITH got off a shot that TCNJ goalkeeper Kristina Beyel stopped. However, the ball bounced out to Levine with two seconds remaining, and the senior, who has scored five overtime goals in her career, flipped in the shot past Beyel, sending the MSU bench into a frenzy.
The final ending was delayed for almost five minutes as officials conferred to see if time remained, but the goal stood, and Montclair had the victory.
Things looked bleak for the Red Hawks as the TCNJ took a 3-1 lead with 13:37 play as Colleen Stamler took a pass from Jessica Hamway on the left side and beat MSU goalkeeper TRISHA WINKLE to the high left side of the cage. But Levine pulled Montclair State within 3-2 as she scored off a penalty corner with 2:45 to play and then tied the game with 38 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
In the first overtime period, Montclair had an opportunity to end the game, but Beyel came up with a huge save to keep the game going.
Winkle then kept MSU's hopes alive in the second OT as she denied Jackie Levy, and the Red Hawks appeared to have won the game in the 88th minute as Levine scored. However, the goal was waved off as it was ruled the ball went in off Levine's leg. Beyel made three more saves in the period before the final goal was notched.
Winkle made six saves for Montclair State, the biggest coming in the first two minutes of the contest as she denied Jackie Scullin on a penalty shot. Scullin tried to go high, but Winkle, falling down, deflected the shot with her pad hand. Beyel had seven saves for the Lions, who were outshot, 22-18 in the contest. MSU also held the edge in penalty corners, 12-8.
