Montclair, NJ – Freshman Kaitlyn Struss (Fairfield, NJ, West Essex) got her collegiate career off to a good start scoring twice with six other Red Hawks each netting a goal as third-ranked Montclair State rolled past Eastern University, 8-2 in the season opener for both teams on Friday evening.
 
Sophomore Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) had a goal and assist as Montclair State (1-0) won its fourth straight season opener. MSU also improved to 10-4 all-time against the Eagles.
 
Freshman Shannon Kelliher (Ellicott City, MD / Mount Hebron) had a goal and assist for Eastern, which trailed by only a goal at halftime before Montclair broke the game open in the second half.
 
The Red Hawks jumped on the board in the first five-plus minutes of the contest. Off a penalty corner, Eagles' goalkeeper Jennifer O'Neill (Erial, NJ / Timber Creek) stopped a shot by Abby Erler (New Hampton, NH, Newfound Regional) on the insert. Johnston got the rebound which was blocked however the ball landed on the stick of Erler, who stuffed in the carom for the first goal of the game.
 
It remained 1-0 for the next 17 minutes as both O'Neill and Montclair State's Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) each came up with several solid saves before the Eagles tied the game with 12:35 left on a goal by Danielle Frasca (Runnemede, NJ / Camden Catholic). Brattole stopped an initial shot by Megan Bolton (Souderton, PA / Christopher Dock). The rebound came out to Kelliher in front who then flipped the ball to the left post for Frasca.
 
Montclair would regain the lead in the final minute of the half capitalizing again off the penalty corner. Butrico fired a shot from close range that was knocked away by defender Alyssa Rowe (Carlisle, PA / Carlisle). The ball then bounced toward the left post where MSU's Jacinta Santos (Long Branch, NJ, Long Branch) was able to tap in a shot past a diving O'Neill with 21 seconds left before halftime.
 
The Red Hawks kept the scoring going in the second with three goals in the first 21 minutes of the period. The first came at the 44:48 mark when Joelle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) took a pass from sister Danielle flipping in a shot over O'Neill for a 3-1 lead. The sister combination on the goal was the first for Montclair State since Deana and Michelle Hagel combined for a score against Ramapo on October 5, 2010.
 
Struss added to the lead with two goals in span of 5:34. Her first collegiate score came off a rebound of a stop by O'Neill at 50:25 with the second extending the lead to 5-1 with 14:01 to play.
 
Sophomore Gianna Moglino (Holmdel, NJ, Holmdel) and Danielle Butrico scored 91 seconds apart for a six-goal advantage before sophomore Arielle Galgano (Cedar Run, NJ, Southern Regional) capped off the second-half barrage with her first of the year at 66:35.
 
Brattole finished with nine saves for Montclair State while O'Neill stopped eight shots. MSU outshot Eastern 29-18, including 15-8 in the first half. The Red Hawks also held the edge in penalty corners, 11-9.
 
MSU goes right back to work on Saturday, August 30 as it hosts Rensselaer at Sprague Field beginning at 2:00 pm.