Box Score

Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey women's soccer team took the first step in quest for a fourth straight New Jersey Athletic Conference title as the Lions shutout visiting William Paterson University 4-0 in the opening round on Saturday.

The third-seeded Lions, the three-time defending champions, now move on to face second-seeded Rowan University on Wednesday, November 5. Game time is slated 7 p.m. in Glassboro.

The Lions are now 12-5-1 on the season, while the Pioneers dropped to 10-6-1.

TCNJ took a 1-0 lead 5:43 into the game on an own goal and then doubled that lead 10 minutes later as senior Coleen Weber (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview) intercepted a Pioneer clearing attempt and deposited it in the net for her fifth goal of the season.

The Lions could have had a bigger lead, but William Paterson keeper Meaghan Baker (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) made three outstanding saves to keep her team close.

In the second half, the Lions quickly made it a 3-0 game as senior Jamie Kunkel (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) settled a pass from freshman Annie McCarthy (Brick, NJ/Brick) and rolled a shot past a diving Baker. That goal was her eighth of the season.

The Pioneers came close to getting on the board with just over 23 minutes remaining as senior Amanda Kurdyla (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) broke in alone on Lion goalie Jessica Clarke (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley), but Clarke made a sprawling save. Three minutes later Clarke again made another tough save denying Kurdyla of a goal.

Just after those two saves, the Lions tacked on a fourth goal as sophomore Casey Caruso (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) tallied unassisted.

Clarke capped the shutout with a diving save on Jessica Bertoli (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) with four minutes left. The Lion goalie finished the game with four saves.

Baker collected eight saves for the Pioneers.