Montclair, NJ... Montclair State University used a 3-2 edge in penalty kicks to deny The College of New Jersey women's soccer team a bid to win back-to-back New Jersey Athletic Conference titles as the Red Hawks claimed the championship on their home field on Saturday.
 
The teams finished the game tied at 1-1 after 110 minutes of soccer as they needed penalty kicks to determine the league champion for the second straight year. The 12^th-ranked Lions (15-2-1) were hoping for a repeat performance from a year ago when they won the championship at Montclair State, but this time around the eighth-ranked Red Hawks (17-1-2) came out on top in penalty kicks. In addition to the NJAC crown, they secured the conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
TCNJ now looks forward to the announcement of the field for the national tournament when it is released on Monday, November 10 at 1 p.m. at www.ncaa.com. The Lions have qualified for 23 straight national tournaments.
 
In the shootout, the Red Hawks led 1-0 after the first round, but the Lions quickly tied things up when senior Lori Genovesi (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) buried her attempt. TCNJ then went up 2-1 on a successful kick by freshman Kathryn Bednarsky (Hackettstown, NJ/Gil St. Bernard's) in the third round, but Montclair State made their final two, while the Lions missed theirs allowing the hosts to win the championship.
                                                                                                                                                          
The teams exchanged goals in the first half with the Lions getting on the board first. Freshman Elizabeth Thoresen (Colts Neck, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) laced a shot from outside the top of the penalty area into the upper left corner of the net for her sixth goal of the season. Senior Korrie Harkins (Wenonah, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) earned an assist on the goal that came 19:48 into the contest.
 
The Red Hawks pulled even later in the half when Daniella Greco poked in a rebound to square the score at a goal apiece with just under 15 minutes left in the period.
 
That goal brought an end to an impressive run by both Lion goalkeeper Kendra Griffith (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) and the rest of TCNJ's defensive unit, as they had not allowed a goal in 672:54.
 
Neither team was able to get another goal in the second half sending the game into overtime.
 
In the first extra period, TCNJ had two quick chances when sophomore Christine Levering (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) was denied by Montclair State keeper Gina Policastro on a shot and seconds later was thwarted again on a shot off of a corner kick.
 
Just like the first overtime, the Lions were awarded a pair of corner kicks in the period, but each time the Red Hawks were able to withstand TCNJ's pressure.
 
Griffith finished the game with three saves.