Montclair, NJ – Freshman EMILY BEENDERS scored with 14:26 remaining in the second half lifting third-seeded Montclair State to a 1-0 win over No. 6 seed William Paterson in the first round of the 2016 NJAC Women's Soccer Championship on Saturday.

Sophomore keeper MOLLY BARROW picked up her sixth shutout of the season as the Red Hawks (14-5-1) move on to the NJAC semifinals where they will face second-seeded Rowan University on Wednesday, November 2 in Glassboro at 7:00 pm. MSU fell to the Profs, 3-2 back on October 8. MSU has won four straight matches.

Sophomore goalkeeper Angela Sandelli stopped seven shots for the Pioneers (13-5-1), who had their four-match winning streak halted as WPU fell for the first time since a 3-1 setback at MSU Soccer Park against the Red Hawks on October 12.

The fifth meeting in the NJAC Tournament between the local rivals looked as if it would be a repeat the last time they met in 2011 when MSU prevailed in penalty kicks following a scoreless draw. Each team created opportunities in the first half however neither could come away with solid shots until the final moments of the first half.

Beenders send a shot wide early and a header from the Pioneers' Tori Woetzel was scooped up by Barrow in the 34^th minute. Sandelli came up with a stop against TYLER MADISON eight minutes later before denying her again with 15 seconds to play before halftime.

MSU took five of the six shots in the first half.

In the second Sandelli came up huge on a barrage of shots by the Red Hawks in the 61^st minute. After CHRISTINE MAYORGA had a shot blocked, DANIELLA GRECO ripped a shot from outside the left top of the box that Sandelli saved. The ball bounced over to the right side which ASHLEY KOESTER tried to knock in but that too was stopped by Sandelli keeping the game scoreless.

William Paterson's best chance came in the 64^th minute as Kristen Bowe ran onto a ball and drove to within the six yardline before a defender tapped the ball away at the last minute.  Darcy Perez blasted a shot off a foul in the 73^rd minute that went high.
 

A minute after that attempt, Montclair would snap the deadlock as Beenders collected her 13^th goal of the year. ALEX GLICKMAN kept the ball inside the box with a high ball down deep. The ball glanced off a defender and eluded Sandelli on the right post. Beenders was there to knock the loose carom in for the 1-0 Montclair lead.

William Paterson would come within inches of tying the game in the 80^th minute. Off another Montclair foul, Perez sent a screaming drive from 30 yards out that clanged off the crossbar.

It would be the final shot of the game as Montclair managed to keep the ball in the WPU side of the field for the final four-plus minutes.

The Red Hawks outshot the Pioneers, 13-6 and had five of the eight corner kicks in the contest.