Montclair, NJ – Junior forward Maura Johnston (Montville, NJ, Montville) scored a pair of goals while freshman Kaitlyn Struss (Fairfield, NJ, West Essex) added a goal and assist as ninth-ranked Montclair State captured its New Jersey Athletic Conference opener with a 5-1 win over Kean University on Wednesday evening.

Gianna Moglino (Holmdel, NJ, Holmdel) and Danielle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) each added goals as the Red Hawks (7-1, 1-0 NJAC) captured its fifth straight contest.

Junior forward Chelsea Mann (Greentown, PA / Wallenpaupack) scored the lone goal for the Cougars (6-3, 0-1 NJAC), who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Montclair State scored on two of its first three shots of the game. A shot by Struss was blocked 1:50 into the game however her second attempt three minutes later found the back of the cage for a 1-0 lead at 4:33 of the contest. Megan Roeloffs sent a ball into the middle where Struss was able to knock it in for her team-leading eighth tally of the year.

It took the Red Hawks less than four minutes to add to the lead ad Butrico collected her third goal of the season. Montclair sent a ball deep into the circle that was kicked away by Kean keeper Katie DiCarlo (Shamong, NJ / Seneca). However Butrico was there for the rebound putting the carom into the back of the cage for a 2-0 lead at the 8:21 mark.

Kean would get one back five minutes later as Mann took a pass from Bridgette Bottinelli (Moorestown, NJ / Moorestown) off a scramble with the shot sneaking inside the left post making the score 2-1.

But that would be the only goal the Cougars would get as Montclair shut down the Kean offense for a majority of the contest holding the visitors to 10 shots in the contest with several coming in the final minutes of the contest.

Meanwhile, Montclair State added to its lead as Johnston scored the first of her two goals with 11:34 left in the first half. Senior Joelle Butrico (South Plainfield, NJ, South Plainfield) drove a shot from deep inside the circle on a tough side angle that DiCarlo was able to stop. But the ball deflected off DiCarlo and trickled right in front of the cage where Johnston was there for the easy tap-in and a 3-1 Red Hawk advantage at halftime.

MSU quickly extended the lead to three goals in the first 2:20 of the second half. Johnston got her second goal of the game finishing off a short pass from Struss for her fifth of the year. The lead could have grown wider as Moglino later put a shot on goal that looked as it would find the back of the cage only to be stopped by freshman Krista LaMaina (Oaklyn, NJ / Collingswood) for a defensive save.

Moglino accounted for the final goal with 16:29 left scoring her fifth the year with an eight-yard blast inside the left post.

Kean would get one last chance to score as the Cougars were awarded a penalty stroke with 2:24 to go. But that would be denied as Rebecca Brattole (Clark, NJ, Arthur L. Johnson) made a glove stop on Mann's attempt.

Brattole finished with six saves for the Red Hawks, who held a 21-10 advantage in shots.

Montclair State returns to action on Sunday, September 28 as it travels to Albany, NY for a 4:00 pm matchup with fifth-ranked Middlebury College at the University at Albany.