Box Score
Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey women's soccer team captured its third straight New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship as the Lions held off visiting Richard Stockton College, 3-1, on Friday at TCNJ's Soccer Complex.
With the win, the top-seeded Lions improved to 17-0-1 on the season and have won 12 in a row. The Lions have also won 12 of the 14 conference titles since 1994 and with the latest win secured the conference's automatic qualification to the 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Tournament.
Third-seeded Richard Stockton entered the game riding a 12-game unbeaten streak slipped to 18-3-2.
TCNJ opened the scoring a shade under 10 minutes into the game as junior Jamie Kunkel (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) one-timed a centering pass from sophomore Briann McDonough (North Arlington, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) into the far corner of the Osprey net.
TCNJ had a great chance to add to its lead as the Lions were awarded a penalty kick with three minutes left before the half, but Lion senior Courtney Krol (Howell, NJ/Howell) drilled her shot off of the crossbar.
The Lions used a familiar combination in the second half to double the lead as McDonough again set up Kunkel for the goal with 9:21 remaining.
Kunkel factored in on TCNJ's third goal as well as she set up Dana DiBruno (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) for her 12th marker of the season three minutes later. That goal gave her 130 career points leaving her two shy of tying Traci Tapp as the program's all-time leading scorer.
The Ospreys spoiled the shutout with 3:34 left on the clock as freshman Amanda Altman (Beachwood, NJ/Toms River South) recorded her 13th of the season on an assist from senior Val Davison (Cranbury, NJ/Princeton).
TCNJ goalie Jessica Clarke (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) picked up the win making a pair of saves.
In goal for Richard Stockton, junior Alex Rogers (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) collected 10 saves.
The field for the 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships will be announced at www.ncaasports.com on Sunday, November 4 at 10 p.m. with the brackets being released on Monday, November 5 at 9 a.m.
