Poughkeepsie, NY – Junior forward
Melanie Greco (Bridgewater, NJ, Bridgewater-Raritan) scored the game's lone goal with 2:03 remaining in the first half as No. 24 Montclair State kept its record unblemished with a 1-0 win at Vassar College on Wednesday afternoon.
Junior goalkeeper
Gina Policastro (East Brunswick, NJ, East Brunswick) stopped three shots for her second straight shutout as the Red Hawks, off to their best start in program history, registered their third straight one-goal win over the Brewers in as many seasons.
For the third straight meeting it was a goal in the closing minutes of a half that proved to be the difference maker for Montclair against Vassar. Two years ago, Christina DeMartinis' goal with 1:33 left gave MSU a 2-1 win in Poughkeepsie and the following year a goal by
Francesca Gibson (Cape May, NJ, Lower Cape May Regional) with 27 seconds left pushed Montclair State to another 2-1 triumph.
It wouldn't be quite the same this time as the Red Hawks would score late in the first half however the goal by Greco, her first of the season, wound being the margin of victory.
Montclair State outshot Vassar 13-8 in the first half yet found itself in a scoreless contest until the waning moments of the period. Senior
Jessica Kiniery (Branchburg, NJ, Somerville) fired a shot that was stopped by Brewer goalkeeper Emma Nichols. But the ball came right out to Greco who banged in the rebound for her fourth-career game-winning tally.
Policastro and the MSU defensive unit made that hold up as they allowed just two shots by Vassar over the final 45 minutes with neither shot going on goal.
Montclair State returns to action on Saturday, September 14 as its hosts Frostburg State at MSU Soccer Park beginning at 3:00 pm.
