Union, NJ (9/18/07) – Sophomore MEGAN PIETRUNTI (Middletown, NJ / Red Bank Catholic) scored twice, including the game-winner with 14:47 to play as 13th-ranked Montclair State captured its New Jersey Athletic Conference opener with a 3-2 victory at Kean University on Tuesday evening.

The victory kept MSU unbeaten as they improved to 7-0 overall, the third time in the last four years that the Red Hawks have opened the year with seven consecutive victories.

MSU got on the board first as Pietrunti scored off a penalty corner by Walsh at 8:59.  The Red Hawks then went ahead 2-0 as senior Jen Tanis (Oak Ridge, N.J.) scored off an assist from JUSTINE DIPAOLO (Lanoka Harbor, NJ / Lacey Township), who has 10 points in her last three games.

The Cougars notched their first goal of the contest at 38:08 on a goal from freshman Brandee Brown (South Plainfield, N.J.)  and tied things up early in the second half as senior Alli Green (West Deptford, N.J.) tipped in a shot of a pass from freshman Amie Hoch (Egg Harbor, Twp., N.J.).  

The Red Hawks quickly responded as Pietrunti nailed the game-winner near the edge of the circle at 55:03.

Sophomore JACQUIE SUPKO (Moorestown, N.J.) recorded three saves in the win for Montclair State while sophomore Jenni Barry (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) and freshman Lauren Dobbs (Palmyra, N.J.) combined for four saves in the loss for Kean.

Montclair State returns to action on Friday, September 21 as the Red Hawks host Muhlenberg College under the lights of Sprague Field beginning at 7:00 pm.