Montclair, NJ (9/5/07) – Junior forward TYLER MASTERSON (Long Valley, NJ / West Morris Central) scored a pair of first-half goals which was all Montclair State would need as the Red Hawks, ranked 11th by the NSCAA and ninth by D3Kicks.com, improved to 3-0 on the season with a 5-0 victory over College of Staten Island at MSU Soccer Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Seniors OWEN NICHOLS (Princeton, NJ / Princeton), and GABE MERLA (Ridgefield, NJ / Ridgefield) and freshman ARGJENT DUKA (Montville, NJ / Montville ) each had goals for the Red Hawks, who open the season with three straight wins for the third consecutive year and fifth time in the last six seasons.

Senior goalkeeper Ronaldo Btesh (Buenos Aires, ARG/Yeshiva Rambam) had five saves for the Dolphins, who were outshot in the game, 23-1 and fell to 0-2 on the season.

Masterson, who recorded the second multiple-goal game in his career, got the Red Hawks on the board quickly as he tallied his second goal of the season 8:14 into the contest. MICHAEL CULLEN (Clementon, NJ / Highland Regional) lofted a cross from the right side to Masterson, who played the ball off his chest before firing a shot past Btesh. Masterson would duplicate the goal at the 27:43 mark this time taking a pass from freshman CHRIS EDELSCHEIN (Medford, NJ / Shawnee). Nichols finished off the scoring in the first half with an unassisted tally, his second of the year as Montclair led 3-0 at the half.

Duka would register his first collegiate goal with 17:47 to go off an assist from CHRIS D'AMATO (Ramsey, NJ / Ramsey) and Merla, who moved from goalkeeper to forward this season, capped off Montclair's offensive output with his  first goal finishing off a THOMAS BENACK (Sparta, NJ / Lenape Valley) pass.

Montclair State goalkeepers NICK MELE (Delran, NJ / Delran) and TEDDY RITTER (Belford, NJ / Middletown North) combined for the shutout, Montclair State's third in as many games this season.

The Red Hawks return to action on Saturday, September 8 as they take on Swarthmore College at the Skidmore Invitational in Saratoga Springs, NY at 4:00 pm. College of Staten Island travels back to the Garden State the same day to face New Jersey City University at the Gerrity Complex in Jersey City at Noon.