Ewing, NJ…The College of New Jersey and Rochester Institute of Technology moved into the second round of the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championships with the Lions posting a 2-0 victory over Penn State Berks, while the Tigers advanced on penalty kicks versus Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
 
TCNJ scored a pair of goals in the second half to improve to 17-2-2 on the season, while the Nittany Lions, who were making their first appearance in the tournament, capped their successful year at 15-4-1.
 
RIT and MIT fought their way through 110 minutes of scoreless soccer to finish in a tie, but the Tigers made four of their five penalty kick attempts to advance into the second round, 4-3. RIT is 12-4-4 on the season, while the Engineers see their season come to a close at 13-2-6.
 
The 15^th-ranked Lions and 23^rd-ranked RIT will meet in the second round on Sunday, November 17 at 1:30 p.m.  The Lions are making their 23^rd straight appearance in the tournament the Tigers will play in the second round for the first time in program history. It will also be the first meeting between the two schools.
 
#15 The College of New Jersey 2, Penn State Berks 0
The host Lions moved into the second round scoring a pair of goals in the second half. The first of those scores
came 2:21 into the period as junior Korrie Harkins (Wenonah, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) touched a short pass to a freshman Sarah Marion (Hightstown, NJ/The Peddie School) ripped a shot just under the cross bar putting the hosts in front 1-0.
 
TCNJ tacked on an insurance goal with 2:35 left in the game as freshman Christine Levering (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) tallied her team-leading 11^th goal of the season. That goal came on an assist from senior Katie Lindacher (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.).
 
The teams battled through a scoreless first half with the Lions getting the best chance just over 15 minutes into the period. Junior defender Lori Genovesi (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) stepped up and laced a shot just over the cross bar.
 
TCNJ keeper Kendra Griffith (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) made two saves for her 50^th career win.
 
Nittany Lion goalie Savannah Cramer (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York) had six saves.
 
#23 RIT 0, MIT 0 (RIT advances on PKs, 4-3) (Box Score)
The Tigers and Engineers finished in a scoreless tie, but RIT earned the right to move on via penalty kicks, 4-3.
 
Tiger goalie Amanda Murray (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) made saves on two of the first three Engineer attempts and Ehlana Gray (Sewickley, PA/Avonworth) made the deciding penalty kick in the fifth round setting up the match-up with TCNJ.
 
The teams were very defensive minded in the first half as they combined for only three shots. The best chance came in later stages of the period when the Tigers had a direct kick from the near side that Liz May (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) served into the MIT area, but the Engineer defense cleared the ball out of harm's way.
 
In the second half, each team had a chance late in the game with MIT's Ambika Krishnamacher (Darien, CT/Phillips Academy) shot from the far wing being hauled in by Murray, while the Tigers had a chance with two minutes left, but Shelby Vakiener (Fairport, NY/Fairport) headed a shot wide.
 
RIT had the best opportunity to win the game in the second overtime when Gray got off a good shot from the near side from inside the MIT penalty area that keeper Lauren Ullman (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) reached up and made the save. Ullman finished that overtime with two of her six saves.
 
Murray finished with two saves for RIT.