Montclair, NJ (10/14/06) – Senior midfielder BILL ANTHES (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) scored a pair of goals as Montclair State grabbed a stronger hold on first-place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with a 3-1 victory over New Jersey City University in a battle of nationally-ranked men's soccer teams at Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Hawks, who are ranked 14 th by the National Soccer Coaches Association and 18 th in the D3Kicks.com poll, improved to 7-0 in conference play this season while upping their record to 14-1. Montclair entered the day two points ahead of NJCU, which had it scho ol-record 13-game unbeaten streak snapped. It was the Gothic Knights first loss since September 3, when NJCU dropped a 3-2 decision to then No. 8 Stevens Institute of Technology. New Jersey City was ranked ninth in the D3Kicks.com poll and 19 th by the NSCAA.

Anthes put Montclair State on the board seven minutes into the game as he scored his 12 th of the season. Controlling a loose ball in the center of the field, Anthes gained control and ripped a shot from 22 yards out inside the right post past a diving Bruce Neves (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) for the first goal of the game.

But the Gothic Knights came right back as John Jensen (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township) evened the match exactly two minutes later with his fourth of the year off an assist from Frank Rosenthal (Kearny, NJ/Kearny). Rosenthal crossed a pass from the left side of the scoring area onto the foot of Monroe, who tapped in the pass for the goal at the 9:06 mark.

Montclair State would get back in front at 24:53 as TODD TUMELTY (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) registered his second goal of the season with Leroy Sequeira (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) getting the assist. Montclair nearly added to the lead four minutes later but RYAN MORGAN's ( Princeton , NJ / Princeton ) bicycle kick hit the crossbar. Neves then kept the game at a goal as he made two saves in the closing minutes of the opening period as the Red Hawks led, 2-1 at halftime.

Anthes would then add an insurance goal at 63:51 scoring off a free kick as his shot ducked inside the near post for his 13 th of the year and fourth against the Gothic Knights in the last two seasons. Last year Anthes scored both goals as MSU upended then No. 23 NJCU, 2-1 in Jersey City .

The Gothic Knights almost brought the game back within a goal in the 72 nd minute, but Gonzalo Dapia (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) found a bit of bad luck as she hit the cross bar twice in a 16-second span. NJCU would only get one more shot on net the rest of the way.

Neves made six saves while counterpart NICK MELE ( Delran , NJ /Delran) stopped four shots. Montclair State outshot the Gothic Knights, 18-10 with NJCU getting the edge in corner kicks, 7-4.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday, October 18 in non-conference action. MSU will host Kings Point at Sprague Field in a 7:00 pm start while New Jersey City will visit Mt. St. Mary 's in Newburgh , NY at the same time.