Box Score JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's soccer team was forced to play a man down for nearly 78 minutes of its New Jersey Athletic Conference game with Montclair State University and the regionally-ranked Red Hawks capitalized, twice scoring back-to-back goals in clusters as MSU defeated NJCU, 6-0, in the final New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season on October 26 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
Montclair, ranked No. 5 in the NCAA Division III South Atlantic Region by the NSCAA and currently receiving 11 points in the D3soccer.com Top 25 national poll, outshot NJCU, 31-2. MSU will be the No. 3 seed in the NJAC Tournament and will host a conference quarterfinal game on October 29. The shutout was the 11th in 18 games for Montclair and its third in a row.
 
After NJCU finished 10th in the conference standings the previous four seasons (2012-15), the Gothic Knights (6-8-1, 2-7-0 NJAC) end the 2016 league campaign seventh with six points; the top six teams qualify for the postseason tournament.
 
Early in the 13th minute, NJCU senior center midfielder Kaydee Murphy (Bayonne, N.J./Holy Family Academy) was issued a red card when a shot off a corner kick hit her in the hand while she was defending the goal line. That led to a penalty kick for MSU senior back Erin Sullivan (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and she netted the game winner. Senior forward Jennie Hornstra (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) later scored her 10th goal of the season in the 35th minute.
 
Junior midfielder Daniella Greco (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and freshman forward Emily Beenders (Rahway, N.J./Union County Tech) each followed with braces to put the game away. Greco, who also assisted on the Hornstra tally and had a five-point effort, scored twice late in the second half to make it a 4-0 lead at halftime before Beenders bagged two goals in a span of 1:19 late in the second period.
 
NJCU was without outstanding junior goalkeeper Paula Viana (Elizabeth, N.J./Hamilton Prep Academy) who missed her second straight game with an injury. With Viana out, freshman Joelle Paris (Bayonne, N.J./County Prep), normally a reserve forward, made seven saves under considerable pressure. Sophomore Molly Barrow (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) made one save to give Montclair the clean sheet.
 
Montclair, which has won two of the last four NJAC conference titles, received single assists from five different players—Greco, junior back Brooke Beatty (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East), freshman midfielder Ryelle Sansone (Succacunna, N.J./Roxbury), freshman back Cassidy Mazzone (Rivervale, N.J./Pascack Valley) and sophomore midfielder Brynn McDonald (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon).
 
Eight different Red Hawks had multiple shots. Greco and Beenders led the way with five shots each and four apiece on goal.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
MSU's first chance came in the 10th minute when Paris came out for a ball but couldn't get there in time. Junior forward Tyler Madison (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany Hills) attempted a shot at the open net but hit the far left post. Montclair hit three posts in the game.
 
A Montclair corner by Sullivan at the 12:08 mark would have curled into the goal but Murphy leaped to try to head the ball off the line. She instead made contact with her hands and was issued a red card with 32:39 to play in the half. On the ensuing penalty kick Sullivan struck a shot into the lower near right side. NJCU played a man down for the final 77:21.
 
In the 25th minute, Sullivan aired out a long cross into the box where Greco had a nice header at the near post before Paris made a diving stop.
 
With 10:27 left in the half, Sansone played a ball to Greco on the near side. Greco chalked up the assist when she played a ball on the ground to the top of the 18 where Hornstra beat Paris high down the middle for a 2-0 lead with her 10th goal of the season.
 
Greco would follow with two goals in a span of 36 seconds. With 2:19 left in the half, Beatty slipped a through ball from beyond midfield to set Greco free on a breakaway. Seconds later, Sansone curled a shot off the crossbar which caromed down off the back left post and inside the six where Greco punched in the rebound with 1:43 left before Paris could cover the loose ball. Montclair had an 18-2 advantage in first half shots.
 
MSU had all 13 shots in the second half including a shot off the right post by Beenders in the 78th minute and another good look by Beenders saved seconds later.
 
With 7:52 left in the game, Mazzone volleyed a ball into the box and Beenders hit a one-touch into the far right side netting. Moments later McDonald played a long ball onto the right wing and Beenders got there before Paris, sidestepped her, and tucked a shot into the open net from 12 yards, to cap the scoring.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series 23rd meeting. Montclair State leads the all-time series, 21-2, and has won the six meetings.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will wrap up 2016 regular season on Saturday, October 29 in a non-conference game against Brooklyn College; Brooklyn won the only other meeting on September 12, 2014 by a 3-0 result in Brooklyn, N.Y.