Beverly, MA – Ninth-ranked Montclair State scored the first three goals of the game, all in the first half, as the Red Hawks slipped past Skidmore College, 3-2 in the Gull Invitational at Endicott College on Friday afternoon.
 
The Red Hawks (1-0-0) scored the game's first three goals in the 19th, 28th, and 34th minute to take a commanding lead before Skidmore battled back with back-to-back strikes before the end of the first half in the 40th and 44th minutes.
 
Montclair State opened up the scoring after junior midfielder Lucas Terci's (Union, NJ, Union) initial bid on goal was deflected by Skidmore junior goalie Eli Kisselbach (Stamford, Conn.) right to the feet of Red Hawk freshman forward Kyle Goodwin (South Brunswick, NJ, South Brunswick). Goodwin fired at the open net to put Montclair State up 1-0. Nine minutes later senior midfielder Maxx Wurzburger (Glen Rock, NJ, Glen Rock) took advantage of a failed cleared near the goal line by the Skidmore defense and finished off a point-blank attempt to the back of the net, making it a 2-0 match.
 
The Red Hawks scored their third and match-winning goal on a hard-fought individual effort by sophomore forward Mike Olla (Bloomfield, NJ, St. Benedict's Prep) who weaved and powered through the Thoroughbred defensive front, capping off the effort with a strike past Kisselbach.
 
Skidmore's offense began to click late in the first half as they scored their first goal of the season on a deep set piece that was delivered into the box. Montclair State goalie Christopher Martinez (Englewood, NJ, Academies @ Englewood) punched the ball straight up into the air which then went off the head of Skidmore's Brock Bakewell (Tucson, Ariz.) and to the feet of sophomore forward Nick Masiero (Richmond, Mass.). Masiero finished off the play with his first goal of the season.
 
Bakewell would score Skidmore's second and final goal of the match off an assist from senior midfielder Adam Beek (Kingston, Jamaica) at the 43:59 mark to make it a 3-2 match going into halftime.
 
In the second half, Montclair State looked to increase their advantage as they continued to outshoot the opposition by over a 2-to-1 margin. After taking 13 shots to eight by Skidmore in the first half, the Red Hawks outshot the Thoroughbreds 14-6 in the second half. Montclair State nearly added another goal on a set piece from just outside the box, but a diving save by Skidmore's Kisselbach kept it a one-goal match.
 
Kisselbach finished with eight saves in the loss while his opposition Martinez made seven saves in the first half. Senior goalie Kevin Lynch (Cinnaminson, NJ, Cinnaminson) came on the second half for Montclair State and did not have to make a save.
 
Montclair State faces Husson University in the second game of Saturday's action in the Gull Invitational. Husson defeated host Endicott in the other match on Friday afternoon.