Madison, NJ (5/14/06) – Junior goalkeeper Kristin Kuhmann stopped 16 shots and was named the Most Valuable Player, while BRIANNA GILLIN added six goals and three assists as top-seeded Montclair State capped off the best season in program history as the Red Hawks captured the ECAC Division III Upstate Women's Lacrosse Championship with a 13-6 win over No. 3 seed Hartwick College at Robert T. Shields Field at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Sunday afternoon.

JENNIFER TANIS added three goals as MSU closed out its 2006 campaign at 15-3, setting the school record for wins. The Red Hawks add the ECAC Championship to its Skyline Conference crown as they finished the season winning their last 12 games.

Kelsey Campbell and Tiffany Hoke each had two goals for the Hawks, who finished the season at 10-9. Hartwick reached the championship game as it knocked off Empire 8 rival and No. 2 seed Elmira, 10-7 on Saturday.

A back-and-forth game through the first 23-plus minutes, Gillin scored the third of her three first-half goals with 2:04 left to put Montclair State up, 5-4. Hartwick almost tied the game with eight seconds left as Campbell hit the post on a shot, the fourth time in the half that the Hawks clanked an attempt off the iron.

In the second half, SHAUNA BROCKLEBANK gave MSU a bit of a cushion as she scored 49 seconds into the period, but Campbell brought Hartwick within a goal as she tallied off a free-position shot to make the score 6-5. The Red Hawks countered just 21 seconds later as Gillin fed a cutting Brocklebank in front of the net to start a three-goal run. Gillin collected her fourth goal with 20:54 to play and then assisted on by CRISTIN BENTZ 61 seconds later as Montclair led 9-5.

Meanwhile Kuhmann, who also caused three turnovers, sparkled in net as she made five of her nine second-half saves during the run and had 10 saves on free position attempts in the game as Hartwick managed to get just 1-of-13 attempts into the net.

Hoke scored her second goal with 12:48 remaining to bring Hartwick within three goals, but Tanis scored unassisted five minutes later and Gillin added two more before MARYKATE DIBENEDETTO closed out the Montclair State scoring.

Amanda Gerich had 10 saves for Hartwick, which match Montclair State in the shot total with 32 apiece. The Hawks also collected more ground balls than MSU (21-18) and won 14 of the 21 draw controls in the game, including a combined nine by Hoke (5) and Campbell (4).

NICOLE ROSELLE had four caused turnovers for the Red Hawks while DINA MORRONE and PATTI FLANAGAN each had three.