Montclair, NJ – Senior midfielder Dan Mendoza (Hackensack, NJ, Hackensack) scored twice and added an assist as 11th-ranked Montclair State remained unbeaten with a 5-1 victory over Manhattanville at MSU Soccer Park on Sunday evening.
Senior Will O'Connor (Wyckoff, NJ, Ramapo) had a goal and an assist for the Red Hawks, who scored the first four goals of the game in upping its record to 5-0.
Freshman Rob Hammerle (Sayville, NY / Sayville) scored once for the Valiants, who fell to 2-3 with their second straight loss.
Scoreless through the first 22 minutes, Mendoza put Montclair State on the board with the first of his two goals heading in a corner kick from Lucas Terci (Union, NJ, Union) for a 1-0 lead. The Red Hawks added to the lead 1:49 later when Brian Cullen (Clementon, NJ, Highland Regional) blasted in a Mendoza feed from 22 yards out. It was Cullen's third of the year.
Mendoza's second goal put MSU up 3-0 at 36:42. Junior Maxx Wurzburger (Glen Rock, NJ, Glen Rock) served a perfect ball from 40 yards out right on target to Mendoza, who headed the ball into the right side of the goal. O'Connor closed out the scoring in the first half pouncing on a loose ball in front of the net for his first goal of 2013.
The goals by Mendoza gave him 38 for his career as he tied John Smith (1967-70) for eighth place on the MSU career list. He upped his career point total to 94, one behind Tyler Masterson (2006-08) for seventh place.
Hammerle broke the shutout for the Valiants at 65:12 of the contest. Dan Lorandini (New Hyde Park, NY / New Hyde Park) threaded a pass to Hammerle from just beyond midfield. Hammerle took the ball to the top of the box before firing a shot from the right side to the far post making the score 4-1.
Junior Pablo Zegarra (Moorestown, NJ, Moorestown) capped the scoring for Montclair State with 10:22 to play
Sophomore goalkeeper Steve Singson (Deer Park, NY / St. Anthony's) made 11 saves for Manhattanville while freshman Sean McAllister (West Islip, NY / West Islip) had one in his 12:49 of action.
Montclair State outshot the Valiants, 29-2 and had an 11-2 advantage in corner kicks.
The game marked the first meeting between the teams in nearly a decade as Montclair and Manhattanville last met November 2003 in the first round of the ECAC Metro Championship. The teams played to a 3-3 draw that day with Montclair advancing in penalty kicks before going on to win the ECAC crown. The Red Hawks are now 2-0-2 against the Valiants all time.
Montclair State returns to action on Wednesday, September 11 as it opens up NJAC play at Rowan University. The Red Hawks, picked No. 1 in the league's preseason poll, square off with the Profs at 7:00 pm. Manhattaville is also home that same evening taking on Vassar at 7:30 pm.
