Montclair, NJ – Senior midfielder
Jennifer Tafro (Little Falls, NJ, Passaic Valley) collected hat trick as top-ranked Montclair State closed out its regular-season schedule with an 8- win over Gwynedd-Mercy College at Sprague Field on Saturday afternoon.
Seniors
Stephanie Lewis (Garwood, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) and
Sierra Rauchbach (East Brunswick, NJ, East Brunswick) each had a goal and assist for the Red Hawks, who improved to 17-1 with their eighth straight victory.
Senior forward Maria Karidas (Richboro, PA / Council Rock South) scored her team-leading 21st goal for the Griffins, who closed out their schedule at 10-8 as their four-game winning streak came to an end.
Montclair State struck quickly as senior
Allison Jillions (Hainesport, NJ, Holy Cross) scored 74 seconds into the contest as she knocked in a feed from
Maura Johnston (Montville, NJ, Montville) on the right side for her third of the year. But that would be all MSU would get for just about the remainder of the half as Griffins keeper Kelly Kruk (Phoenixville, PA / Methacton) made eight saves for the next 31 minutes before the Red Hawks score twice in the final two minutes.
Tafro made it 2-0 with 1:59 left on a blast off a penalty corner. Freshman
Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) then beat the halftime horn with a shot from the right side for her sixth of the year as Montclair went into the intermission up 3-0.
Lewis widened the lead to 4-0 four minutes into the second half with a penalty stroke goal and Tafro's second off an assist from Lewis 1:53 later made the score 5-0.
Karidas snapped the MSU scoring run at 48:19 with a shot from 10 yards out the snuck inside the left post.
Tafro converted a penalty stroke and freshman
Arielle Galgano (Cedar Run, NJ, Southern Regional) scored 2:10 apart before Rauchbach finished off the scoring with 3:55 left.
Sophomore keeper
Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) made one save for the Red Hawks, who outshot the Griffins 34-3. Kruk finished with 14.
Junior midfielder Brooke Oliver (Red Hill, PA / Upper Perkiomen) made three defensive saves for Gwynedd-Mercy.
Prior to the game today the Red Hawks honored their six seniors – Tafro, Rauchbach, Lewis, Jillions,
Brooke Hullings (Delran, NJ, Delran) and
Emily Burd (Newton, NJ, Newton). The group has posted a 70-13 mark the past four seasons which includes last year's NJAC championship and trip to the NCAA Division III national championship game.
Both teams are in action next in their respective conference tournaments. Montclair State will host Richard Stockton in the semifinals of the NJAC Tournament on Wednesday, November 6 at 7:00 pm. Gwynedd-Mercy will also be home at the same time taking on Immaculata University in the Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournament.
