Montclair, NJ – Sophomore CARLIE VAN TASSEL and junior LINDSEY BICHER combined on both goals as Montclair State posted its second straight win, edging FDU-Florham, 2-1 at Sprague Field on Wednesday evening.
Junior goalkeeper LAUREN PICKUL stopped seven shots as the Red Hawks improved to 4-2 on the year while recording its second straight victory against the Devils. MSU leads the all-time series, 17-12-1.
Junior Rachel McHale had the lone goal for FDU (5-2), which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Both teams came out shooting in the first three minutes of the contest. Devils keeper Megan March made two saves in the first 60 seconds with Pickul collecting two of her own two minutes later. March added another against TORI SUTERA at the 8:55 mark with Pickul denying Haleigh Flukey with 4:17 left as the first quarter went by scoreless.
March opened the second period with a pair of stops and the Devils fended off three penalty corners before Montclair State finally broke through on the fourth. Bicher took the insert at the top of the circle and ripped shot that Van Tassel deflected in for the game's first goal with 10:52 remaining in the half.
It would be a carbon copy for the second goal as Bicher flipped a shot from the top down low where again Van Tassel was able to redirect it into the cage sending MSU into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
The Devils stepped up the offense in the second half creating several corners in the last five minutes of the third period. Pickul made a save against Flukey off one of those chances and did the same to Dominque Rodriguez a minute later. FDU-Florham would cash in at the 42:39 mark. Rodriguez dumped a ball in front from the left side, where it bounced around before McHale was able to knock it in on the doorstep just ahead of a diving Pickul trimming the deficit to 2-1.
But that would be as close as the Devils would get as Montclair State did not allow a shot in the fourth period.
March had nine saves for FDU-Florham.
Montclair State is back in action on Sunday, September 26 at home. The Red Hawks host No. 7 Williams College at Sprague Field beginning at 2:00 pm.
