Hoboken, NJ (5/1/04) - Junior attack Valerie Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) scored three goals and added an assist to lead Stevens Institute of Technology to a 9-5 win over Montclair State University in the championship game of the Knickerbocker Women's Lacrosse Conference Tournament on Saturday at DeBaun Field.

Stevens (15-3) earned its second straight Knickerbocker championship in the league's two year history. BRIANNA GILLIN (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) scored twice for Montclair State, which falls to 11-3 with two of its three losses coming to Stevens.

MSU will await to see if it is selected as one of the six teams in the ECAC Division III Mid-Atlantic Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, May 5.

Montclair State scored the first two goals of the game as freshmen NICOLE LAROCCA (Shamong, N.J./Shawnee) and ABBEY MORGAN (Willingboro, N.J./Moorestown Friends) scored just 1:59 apart. Stevens countered by scoring three straight goals and six of the next seven to open up a 6-3 halftime lead.

Senior Lindy Gibbons (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy), junior Rebecca Quinn (Damascus, Md./Damascus) and senior Juliet Pullis (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) scored goals in a three-minute span to erase the deficit. After Montclair State tied the game at 3-3 on a goal by freshman SHAUNA BROCKLEBANK (Long Branch, N.J./Long Branch) with 15:52 left in the half, Stevens scored three straight goals – two by Barnhart and one by Pullis – to take the lead for good. Barnhart's goal with four minutes left in the half proved to be the difference.

Montclair State got within two goals early in the second half, but Barnhart and Quinn scored 1:50 apart to extend the lead for the Ducks.

Stevens held a 36-20 advantage in shots.

Montclair State received a strong game from freshman goalkeeper KRISTEN KUHMANN (Beachwood, N.J./Toms River South) who stopped 16 shots. Sophomore Melissa Scott (Barnegat, N.J./Southern Regional) had 12 saves for Stevens, nine in the second half.