Montclair, NJ – Freshman forward
Kaitlyn Struss (Fairfield, NJ, West Essex) had a hand in all four goals, including her first career hat trick as 11
th-ranked Montclair State won its third straight with a 4-1 win over FDU-Florham at Sprague Field on Wednesday evening.
Junior
Maura Johnston (Montville, NJ, Montville) had a goal for the Red Hawks, who improved to 10-2 with the victory. Montclair also took the lead in the all-time series with its in-state rival at 12-11-1.
The Devils (6-6) tested Montclair early as Niki Ikeda fired off a shot from the right wing 42 seconds into the contest that was kicked away by goalkeeper
Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson). Moments later it was Montclair State's turn as Struss got off a shot on the left post that was kept out of the goal on a defensive save by Katelin Leibner.
Brattole would made another save on an Ikeda shot in the fifth minute before the Red Hawks broke through at 15:20 on the first of Struss' three goals, this one an eight-yard shot from the middle that rolled inside the left post.
Brattole would come up with another save on a reverse chip by Jodie Crutchley at 19:29 and the Red Hawks were denied twice as Samantha Klimaszewski came up with a pair of saves in the 23
rd minute. Struss added her second with 11:30 left in the period blasting a shot from 11-yards out on the right side into the back of the cage giving MSU a 2-0 lead at the break.
The second half was a defensive stalemate until the final nine-plus minutes when the teams combined for three scores in a span of 4:12.
Johnston got the first, her 10
th of the season knocking in a feed from Struss at 61:18. Forty-five seconds later FDU-Florham's Kim Davis answered putting the Devils on the board as she cut the deficit to 3-1. Struss countered for Montclair State with 4:30 remaining knocking in a deflected pass from
Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) for her team-leading 13
th goal of the season.
Brattole finished with four saves for Montclair State, which outshot the Devils 18-6.
The Red Hawks are back in action on Saturday, October 11 with a 6:00 pm NJAC contest at fourth-ranked The College of New Jersey. It will be a rematch of last season's NJAC title game won by the Red Hawks 1-0 at Sprague Field.
