Glassboro, NJ – Facing a must-win situation, the Montclair State field hockey team fell short in its comeback bid as the Red Hawks fell to No. 15 Rowan University, 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.

Junior ELIZABETH CIMILLUCA had a goal and assist as MSU (9-7, 1-4 NJAC) rallied in the fourth quarter but could not come up with the equalizer. The loss coupled with Stockton's overtime victory against Ramapo officially eliminated the Red Hawks from NJAC Tournament contention.

Liz Fox scored a hat trick as the (12-3, 4-2 NJAC) registered its third straight win against the Red Hawks.

Cimilluca put Montclair State up 1-0 at the 9:22 mark of the opening period with her seventh goal of the season. MADDIE SPOLARICH made the short pass from the left side of the cage over the Cimilluca who finished the feed with hard shot from even yards out.

Rowan answered two minutes later on the first of Fox's three tallies, this one from five yards out knotting the contest at 1-1. She would strike twice in a span of 66 seconds in the second giving Rowan a 3-1 advantage. Fox finished off Alyssa Magliaro's pass at the 16:19 mark and then tipped in Myranda McCabe's hard shot at 17:25.

Following a scoreless third, Krystyna Hovell extended the lead to 4-1 with 11:29 to play in the fourth knocking in a ball from five yards out. The Red Hawks would get one back 1:24 later when KELLY WATSON scored inside the left post and drew within a goal as LINSEY CHAMPA scored with 6:02 to play on a tip-in off a Cimilluca shot.

MSU would get a chance to tie things up 32 seconds later however Profs goalkeeper Morgan Novak denied Cimilluca on what turned out to be Montclair's last shot attempt of the contest.
Novak finished with seven saves while NICOLE ANDRIANI stopped nine for MSU.

Montclair State will close out its 2019 campaign on Friday, November 1 hosting Ramapo College at Sprague Field.