New Paltz, NY – Sophomore forward
Maura Johnston (Montville, NJ, Montville) scored once and assisted on another goal as top-ranked Montclair State remained unbeaten with a 3-1 win at New Paltz on Wednesday afternoon.
Senior midfielder
Jennifer Tafro (Little Falls, NJ, Passaic Valley) had a goal for the Red Hawks, who also got a score from freshman
Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield). MSU, which was playing its first game as the No. 1 ranked team, improved to 5-0 on the year, the second time in three seasons that MSU has opened the year with five consecutive victories.
Tafro gave Montclair State the lead 10:39 into the contest with her fourth goal of the season. Senior Sierra Rauchbach inserted a ball to freshman
Gianna Moglino (Holmdel, NJ, Holmdel) who then made a touch pass over to Tafro with the latter first a shot past Hawks' goalkeeper Antonija Pjetri for the 1-0 lead.
That's the way the game stood into the second half when Montclair extended the lead on Johnston's third of the season. Senior
Brooke Hullings (Delran, NJ, Delran) slid a pass from the left side in front where Johnston was able to deflect it in for a 2-0 Red Hawks lead with 18:04 remaining.
New Paltz responded back less than five minutes later as Dani Ackerman cut the lead to three run banging in a shot from the top of the circle.
But that would be as close as New Paltz would get as Montclair tacked on an insurance goal with 6:16 to play as Butrico tallied her third of the season off an assist from Johnston.
Sophomore goalkeeper
Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) made two saves for Montclair State while Pjetri stopped 14 for the Hawks.
The Red Hawks remain on the road traveling to Dallas, PA on Saturday, September 14 for a 5:00 pm matchup with the Cougars of Misericordia University.
