Montclair, NJ – Junior forward Cayla Andrews scored in the 11^th round of the shootout with goalkeeper Maddie Beaumont making two stops on the final try as No. 5 The College of New Jersey defeated No. 9 Montclair State, 2-1 in the semifinals of the NJAC Field Hockey Championship on Wednesday evening.

Tori Hannah had a goal for the defending champion Lions (14-3) who captured the shootout 3-2 to advance to Saturday's title game in Glassboro against top-seeded and No. 3 ranked Rowan University at 1:00 pm.

Senior KAILEY DALGAUER scored for Montclair, which dropped its second straight contest. The Red Hawks (15-3) will now wait to see if it can earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship which begins next week. MSU was ranked third in the latest regional rankings published on Tuesday.

Two halves and two overtime periods could not declare a winner and for the first time in conference tournament history, the shootout would decide the matter. Andrews gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the second round and Samantha Reed's goal in the third made the score 2-0. Montclair got one in the fourth round as MADDIE FREEMAN scored on a reverse chip inside the left post.

MSU keeper NICOLE ANDRIANI gave the Red Hawks a chance with a sliding save in the fifth round against Hannah. Dalgauer would keep the shootout going on Montclair's last chance as she pulled back and flipped a ball over the sprawled out Beaumont.

Neither team could come up with a goal in the next round of five and on to sudden victory the shootout went. TCNJ went first and got the goal as Andrews was stopped initially by Andriani however her second attempt hit the cage just before the 8-second clock expired. Beaumont then came up with two stops on MSU's final attempt sending TCNJ to the championship game for the seventh time in the eight-year existence of the tournament.

Hannah gave TCNJ a 1-0 lead with 4:08 to go in the first half as the Lions capitalized off a penalty corner. Kayla Peterson slid a pass from the right side to Hannah on the left wing. The latter then sent a shot the got through traffic for the goal, her 11^th of the season.

Montclair State would get the equalizer with just under 20 minutes remaining as it also took advantage of a penalty corner. Dalgauer got the ball near the top and moved to the right side before firing a shot that found its way inside the left post for her fifth of the season and a 1-1 tie.

In the first overtime, the Red Hawks outshot TCNJ 7-2 but Beaumont made three saves including consecutive stops in the initial minutes. The Lions would get a penalty corner as time expired. Kaitlyn Hunter sent a shot on cage that was knocked away by Andriani and cleared sending the contest to a second OT.

TCNJ would get two chances to win the game in the fourth period both coming in the closing seconds. Andriani turned away Sidney Padilla with 21 seconds left. The Lions got another corner at the horn and came within inches of winning as Reed send a shot from the right side that appeared headed in until MSU's MARISSA SICONOLFI came up with a defensive save at the goal line.

Beaumont finished with 11 saves with Andriani totaling nine. Montclair State outshot the Lions 17-14 and also held a 14-13 margin in corners.