Montclair State University Athletics

Montclair, NJ – The #9 Montclair State University Men's Soccer team fell 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout to #13 Rowan in the 2026 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship game on Friday night at MSU Soccer Park.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (16-2-3) traded shots with the Profs over the opening 10 minutes of the night, finding the back of the net on their second shot on goal in the 17th minute. JAKE WINCHOCK crossed midfield and slipped the ball to JOSH VIRGIL along the near wing, who made a run to the end line and slotted a low cross to TOMAS MONTEIRO for a flick-in goal. Rowan would find the equalizer shortly after, as a leading pass into the edge of the box led to a cutback to the left and a low shot towards the far corner of the net.
• Montclair retook the lead in the 26th minute, as Winchock found Virgil once again on the near wing, as the midfielder took a few steps into the box and fired a left-footed shot that went off the keeper's hands and into the back of the net. The Red Hawks continued to push on the front foot as they recorded shots from KEVIN CONTRERAS and SEBASTIAN LAPCZYNSKI over the next five minutes. The visitors tallied the final three attempts of the stanza but could not find the back of the net, as Montclair took the one-goal advantage into halftime.
• The Red Hawks placed the first attempt of the second half on goal in the 58th minute on a rip from TYLER DIAZ, with Rowan flipping the momentum with a string of four shots over the next five minutes, none finding the front of goal. The Profs found the leveler again in the 69th minute, as a shot following a corner kick was parried away by PIERRE SOUMEILLANT, but Rowan capitalized on a loose ball shortly after in front of goal. Both sides combined for a pair of shots bridging the game into the final 10 minutes, where neither could find a shot on target to force extra time.
• In the first overtime period, each side notched one shot attempt, with the Red Hawks seeing a rip from Lapczynski go out just right, with Rowan seeing their shot blocked by the Montclair defense. The two sides tightened up defensively in the second installment of extra time, with the only shot being a header from Monteiro in the 107th minute that rang off the woodwork following a corner kick. In the penalty kick shootout, makes from Lapczynski, JOHN CAREY, and LOGAN NENO helped the margin stay level at three. Rowan would later have a chance to win it, with Soumeillant making a crucial stop to extend the night. In the next round, however, the Profs would seal the championship with a 5-4 victory in the shootout.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Monteiro recorded his NJAC-leading 17th goal of the season, pushing his goal contribution total to 26. 
• Virgil has scored in back-to-back contests and now has five goals for the year.
• Winchock registered his first career multi-assist performance in his first game since October 17.

FROM THE FIELD

Quote to be Added.

UP NEXT

The Red Hawks will await the 2026 NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which will take place on Monday, November 8 at 11:00 AM on ncaa.com.