Women's Soccer | 11/3/2017 8:00:00 AM
Montclair, NJ – On paper, the Montclair State women's soccer team faces a Herculean task on Friday when it meets No. 2 The College of New Jersey in the NJAC Women's Soccer Championship Game on Friday evening in Ewing, NJ. But if history is any indication, fans are going to be in for a real treat.
The third-seeded Red Hawks (10-4-5) and top-seeded Lions (16-0) square off at Lions Stadium at 7:30 pm with the winner claiming the conference championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship.
It will be the sixth time the two matchup with the conference title on the line and the 10th time overall since the NJAC went to a tournament format in 1999. Four of those previous nine meetings have been classics decided in penalty kicks, three in the championship round, and four others have been 1-0 margins.
The Lions are 5-0-4 in the post-season series, 3-0-2 in championship matches however despite not winning a game the Red Hawks have been come away with the NJAC crown twice both via a shootout. Montclair earned its first conference title in 2004 taking the title in PKs, 3-1. A decade later MSU would do it again by the shootout score. The victory came after TCNJ captured the penalty kick round by a 4-2 margin in 2013.
Penalty kicks have been a familiar theme throughout Montclair State's NJAC Tournament history. That is how the Red Hawks got to Friday's contest outlasting second-seeded and No. 19 Rowan 4-2 in a shootout after the two played to a scoreless draw. Sophomore
EMILY BEENDERS delivered the decisive kick. It was the 11
th time that Montclair has gone to kicks in the NJAC Tournament and it is now 9-11-11 in its 18 all-time appearances.
TCNJ has been downright dominating this season at 16-0 (9-0 NJAC) and have a plus-59 goal differential. The Lions have allowed just three goals this season – two coming in their 3-2 overtime win at Montclair State on October 14. The two goals were the first allowed by New Jersey in 2017 however it managed to escape with the victory after Christine Levering, the NJAC Offensive Player of the Year, converted ironically, a penalty kick 5:57 into the OT.
Levering leads the explosive TCNJ attack which has produced 3.65 goals per games. The senior has scored 12 times and added five assists for 29 points. Hannah Richman is next with 16 points while Jessica Goldman, the NJAC Midfielder of the Year and Nolan Taylor had 14 points each combining for 11 goals and six assists. Elizabeth Thoresen and Kayla Bertolino round out the double-digit scorers for the Lions at 13 and 12 points respectively. NJAC Goalkeeper of the Year Nicole DiPasquale has stopped 23 of the 26 shots (0.20 GAA) she's faced this season.
Montclair State is 4-0-1 since the loss to the Lions back in October and have given up just two goals in that span. The Red Hawks will counter with their balanced attack led by Beenders, who had 11 goals and 29 points with freshman
MELANIE CUNHA next on the list with 17 points including eight goals. Junior
MICHAELA KNOBLOCK leads the team with eight assists and has registered 16 points.
CHRISTINE MAYORGA and
MADDY MCLELLAND complete the double-digit scorers for MSU at 15 and 10 points respectively.
PHOEBE BLEDSOE and junior
MOLLY BARROW have combined for 81 saves and a 1.12 goals against average this season. The Red Hawks have recorded nine shutouts.
