Women's Soccer | 11/9/2015 2:05:00 PM
Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State women's soccer team is going back to the NCAA Tournament. The Red Hawks were among the field of 64 teams announced during the Selection Show on NCAA.com Monday afternoon.
The Red Hawks (14-3-2) will head to Grantham, PA to face Springfield College (11-5-5) in the first round on Saturday, November 14 at Shoemaker Field. Host Messiah College (17-0-2) will take on College of Staten Island (12-4-1) in the other first round with the winners squaring off in the second round on Sunday, November 15.
Montclair State, which received one of the 20 at-large bids to the tournament, will be making its fourth straight and sixth overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship. The Red Hawks are 7-4-1 in those games including last season when it advanced to the Sectional Tournament for the second consecutive year falling to eventual national champion Lynchburg College at Messiah.
Two years ago, MSU knocked off Colby-Sawyer 1-0 in the first round before rolling past Bowdoin 7-0. Montclair fell to eventual national runner-up Trinity University (TX) 2-1 in the Sectional Semifinals in San Antonio, TX. Montclair's first appearance came in 2004 with the Red Hawks beating Bay Path 4-0 in the first round before being knocked out by Messiah in penalty kicks following scoreless draw.
In 2006, Montclair State defeated Nazareth 1-0 in the first round and lost to host Elizabethtown the next day by the same score in overtime. MSU returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2012 traveling to Lynchburg and beating Averett University 2-1 in overtime on a goal by
MELANIE GRECO. The Red Hawks lost to host Lynchburg in the second round, 2-0.
Montclair has been idle since October 31 when it fell to Rutgers-Newark, 1-0 in the first round of the NJAC Tournament. Despite the loss the Red Hawks have won four of their last five games with all four victories coming via shutout. Montclair has allowed just two goals in its last eight contests.
Sophomore
TYLER MADISON leads four players in double-figure scoring for the Red Hawks. Madison has a team-high nine goals and 19 points while senior
MARTINA LANDEKA had 18 points on seven goals and four assists. Junior
JENNIE HORNSTRA is next at six goals and 14 points with senior
SHAWNA GRABOWSKI rounding out the list at 12 points (5 goals).
In goal, freshman
ERINNE FINLAYSON has been solid with a 0.17 goals against average allowing just two goals in 12 appearances with eight shutouts.
Madison and Grabowski were both named to the All-NJAC Team announced last week as was Landeka, who was voted as the league's Midfielder of the Year.
Springfield earned its way into the NCAA Tournament via the automatic bid as the Pride captured the New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference championship. Springfield, the No. 4 seed in the NEWMAC Tournament, advanced every round by penalty kicks, including a 5-4 shootout win against Babson in the title contest following a 1-1 tie as Brooke Hattinger nailed the go-ahead attempt which stood as goalkeeper Ciara Boucher made save on the last kick to give Springfield the conference title and bid to the NCAAs.
The Pride tied WPI 1-1 and moved on to the second round with a 4-2 shootout victory before upsetting top-seeded MIT 4-3 in kicks after a 2-2 tie.
Boucher was named the MVP of the NEWMAC Tournament as she made 15 saves in the three games with six more in the shootouts. Boucher has a goals against average of 0.77 on the season with 43 saves and six shutouts.
Nicole Fowler leads the team with 19 points on six goals and team-best seven assists. She is one of five players with double-digit points. Jessica Muller (14 points) has found the back of the net twice with Krissy Cicalis (13 points) and Kim Quiles (11 points) each recording five goals. Dakota Kelly rounds out the scoring at 10 points on four goals and two assists.
Montclair State has never faced either Springfield or College of Staten Island and has just the one game against Messiah in its history.
