By Kevin Boyle

Ewing, NJ ... The 1996 men's soccer national championship team from The College of New Jersey will be inducted into the Lions Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 21, the evening prior to 2011 Homecoming Day. The soccer squad will be enshrined with the 2011 class as a Team of Distinction.

The '96 Lions were the first and only men's soccer team to claim a national title and did so in dramatic fashion. After 149 minutes of play, Mark Laurinaitis knocked in the game-winner with just six seconds left in the fourth overtime period. Prior to the final game, TCNJ won four consecutive one-goal games in the NCAA tournament to advance to the finals, including a victory in the semi-final match on penalty kicks to edge Ithaca College

The Lions posted a 17-5-1 overall record in 1996. They outscored their opponents 56-21 and registered 10 shutouts during the season. Junior forward Jason Cairns was a First Team All-American that season, while senior midfielder Brian Bianco was named NSCAA/UMBRO All Mid-Atlantic Honorable Mention. Junior defender Chris Foley earned Second Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference honors, as senior goalkeeper Rob Jordan, junior midfielder Jeremy Beardsley, and senior defender Gary Lindstra were named to the conference Honorable Mention squads. Freshman Albie Lobbato was named NJAC Rookie of the Year that season.

In just his second season of coaching at TCNJ, George Nazario led the Lions the national title. He remains head coach of the program and currently owns a career record of 166-108-33.

The event will be held on Friday evening in the Brower Student Center on campus. TCNJ's men's soccer team will join the 1990 national championship field hockey team along with the 1990 football team as teams of distinction this year.