Montclair, NJ – Senior midfielder
Allison Jillions (Hainesport, NJ, Holy Cross) scored with 9:08 remaining in the second half to lift top-ranked Montclair State to a 3-2 victory over Stevens at Sprague Field on Wednesday evening.
Senior midfielder
Jennifer Tafro (Little Falls, NJ, Passaic Valley) and freshman
Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) each had a goal for the Red Hawks, who improved to 10-0 with their 22nd consecutive home victory.
Senior defender Megan Traub (Berkeley Heights, NJ / Gov. Livingston) and senior forward Rachel Chavez (Oceanport, NJ / Shore Regional) each had a goal for Stevens, which had its five-game winning streak snapped. The Ducks fell to 6-3.
Montclair State also improved to 5-1 in the brief series history between the teams, including the last four games. In fact, five of the games have been decided by a goal with the last three coming by the identical 3-2 scores.
Chavez tied the game for Stevens with 13:25 to play with her fourth goal of the season as the Ducks took advantage of a man-up situation following a green card issued to Montclair State. Freshman midfielder Nolie Prouty (Glendora, CA / Glendora) drove along the right endline getting within five yards of the post before slipping a pass back in front to Chavez who ripped the ball past the goalkeeper knotting the game at 2-2.
The Ducks would get a chance to take the lead two minutes later off a penalty corner. Marguerite Chavez (Oceanport, NJ / Shore
Regional) inserted the ball up top on the left side to Traub who fired a shot toward the near post that was kicked away by MSU goalkeeper
Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson).
Montclair State came back the other way. Jillions substituted back into the game on the change of field position and immediately made her presence felt with the game winner. Sophomore forward
Maura Johnston (Montville, NJ, Montville) drove in from the right side and was met three yards from the goal by Stevens keeper Emily Stukenborg (Stockholm, NJ / Wallkill Valley), who got a piece of the ball before Johnston could get off the shot. Fortunately for the Red Hawks the ball came right back to Johnston who poked a pass over the left side where Jillions banged in the feed for her second of the year giving MSU the 3-2 lead.
The Red Hawks grabbed a 1-0 advantage 2:45 in after being denied by Stukenborg, who made two quick saves on Butrico in the first 40 seconds of the contest. Tafro scored her team-leading 11th goal as she took an insert pass from
Sierra Rauchbach (East Brunswick, NJ, East Brunswick) off a penalty corner firing a shot inside the left post.
Butrico extended the lead to 2-0 at the 16:56 mark putting back a rebound after Stukenborg came up with a save on a shot by
Gianna Moglino (Holmdel, NJ, Holmdel).
Stevens responded within the next 83 seconds on Traub's sixth of the year. Off a corner, Traub collected the ball off the insert and misfired on a first attempt before regaining control and knocking in a shot from the left side cutting the lead to 2-1.
Stukenborg came up with eight saves for Stevens while Brattole stopped three for the Red Hawks. Montclair outshot Stevens 14-7 with eight team generating eight penalty corners.
Both teams return to action with games on Saturday, October 5. Montclair State heads to Glassboro, NJ for a 1:00 pm matchup with Rowan University. Stevens is home to Utica College at 6:00 pm.
