Scranton, PA —The Montclair State field hockey team built a three-goal lead then held off a furious charge by University of Scranton over the final 12 minutes as the top-ranked Red Hawks hung on for a 3-2 victory Wednesday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Field.
Senior back
Sierra Rauchbach (East Brunswick, NJ, East Brunswick) and freshman forwards
Gianna Moglino (Holmdel, NJ, Holmdel) and Arielle Galgano (Cedar Run, NJ/Southern Regional) scored a goal apiece and senior midfielder
Jennifer Tafro (Little Falls, NJ, Passaic Valley) had two assists as Montclair State won its fifth straight game to improve to 15-1.
Scranton, now 12-3, received a goal and an assist from sophomore forward Krista Osborne (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd-Mercy), a goal from junior midfielder Alyssa Fania (Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon), and an assist from senior forward Megan McLaughlin (Rye Brook, NY/School of the Holy Child)
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Montclair State made the most of its scoring opportunities in the first half, scoring twice in the first 20 minutes on just four shot attempts. Rauchbach tapped in a shot for a goal off of a cross served by Moglino in the 13th minute before Tafro set up Moglino's 11th goal of the year with a pass from the top of the circle four minutes later. After Galgano deflected in a cross from Tafro in the 39th minute, it appeared as if the highly regarded Red Hawks would turn the game into a rout.
No so.
Scranton continue to chip away and finally broke through in the 59th minute when Fania delivered a ball from the right sideline that McLaughlin was able to defect towards Osborne, who tapped it in for her seventh goal of the season. In the 65th minute, Fania scored her team-leading 12th goal of the year by drilling a shot from the top of the circle on a ball served up by Osborne on a penalty corner.
Neither team, however, got off another shot attempt after Fania's goal.
The Red Hawks held a 12-5 advantage in shots and a 9-5 margin in penalty corners.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) made one save for Montclair while Scranton junior Maria Begliomeni (Shickshinney, PA / Northwest Area) came on in relief of starter Krista Mundy (North Caldwell, NJ / West Essex) and made five saves.
The Red Hawks return to action on Saturday, October 26 as it travels to Galloway Township for a 1:00 pm NJAC matchup at Richard Stockton. Montclair, currently 3-1 in the NJAC, is tied for first place in the conference with The College of New Jersey and MSU owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Lions.
