Montclair, NJ (3/8/07) – Senior attack BRIANNA GILLIN (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) scored six goals and assisted on two others as Montclair State posted a 15-6 victory over Drew University in an NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse season-opener for both teams at a frigid Sprague Field on Thursday afternoon.

Junior JENNIFER TANIS (Oak Ridge, NJ/Jefferson) added four goals and two assists as the Red Hawks (1-0) won their 13th straight game dating back to last season. MSU also avenged a 9-8 loss to Drew on March 30 of last year, the last game Montclair lost. MSU also improved to 4-5 all-time against the Rangers.

Senior attack Alexandra Bailly (Albany, NY/Academy of the Holy Names) and Morgan Kenney (Scituate, PA/Loomis Chaffee) each had a pair of goals for Drew, which dropped its season-opening contest for the third consecutive season.

Gillin, who scored 43 goals last season in helping Montclair to the ECAC Upstate Championship, tallied the first three of the game to give MSU an early cushion. Gillin notched her first with 25:41 left in the first half and collected then next one 24 seconds later before recording the hat trick with 21:44 to play. Alex Weber Reitz (Brea, CA/Troy) got the Rangers on the board with 20:19 remaining, but Montclair scored the next three goals, including Gillin's fourth with 16:45 left as the Red Hawks extended their lead to 6-1.

BETHANY BLAINE (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) had two goals in the first half, the second on a free-position attempt with 6:46 to play in the half as Montclair took an 8-4 advantage into the break.

In the second half, Kenney's second goal got Drew within 8-5 with 26:30 remaining, but Gillin registered her fifth 30 seconds later to spark a six-goal run as Montclair widened its lead to eight. Tanis scored three times in the spurt and Gillin accounted for her sixth goal with 20:26 to play. Freshman MORGAN MACPHEE (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) notched her first collegiate goal with 8:50 left before Tanis capped the run with an unassisted marker for a 13-5 MSU advantage.

Montclair State goalkeeper Kristin Kuhmann (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) stopped 12 shots in the while counterpart Stef Rutkowski (Wilmington, DE/Tower Hill School) had eight in her collegiate debut.

Senior SHAUNA BROCKLEBANK (Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) had a goal, four draw controls and six ground balls for Montclair State while senior defender DINA MORRONE (Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee) caused six turnovers. Jen Schoepflin (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) had four ground balls for the Rangers, who were outshot in the game, 29-26.

Both teams return to action next week down in Florida. Montclair State will face McDaniel in West Palm Beach on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 pm. Drew battled University of New England the day before (Monday, March 12) at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando.