Allentown, PA (09/10/04) - Senior LISA SMICKLO notched a goal as Montclair State topped Catholic (DC), 3-2, in the opening round of the Muhlenberg Invitational on Friday evening.

Jaimie Lukacs and ERIN BALINT each added goals as the Red Hawks advanced to Saturday's championship game against Muhlenberg. Junior goalkeeper ROBYN APICELLI made nine saves for the win.

MSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead with 23:19 left in the first half as Lukacs tallied her first goal of the season off an assist from JENNIFER TANIS. Catholic would tied the game with just under 10 minutes to play as Jayne Dinsmore scored unassisted.

Montclair State would regain the lead with 3:46 to play when Smicklo got her first goal of the year off an assist from Tanis, her second of the game. However, Catholic would knot the game up with just under two minutes before half when Christy Engstrom got a shot past Apicelli.

Balint would put the Red Hawks in front for good with 21:56 remaining as she converted a penalty corner into a goal. KIM DEMKOWICZ picked up the assists on the play.

MSU outshot Catholic, 15-12 in the contest and held the edge in panelty corners, 8-5. The meeting was the first between the teams since Montclair defeated the Cardinals, 1-0, in the 2001 ECAC Mid-Atlantic Championship Game in Washington, DC.