Ewing, NJ. … The College of New Jersey women's soccer team handed Stevens Institute of Technology its first loss of the season with an exciting 1-0 victory in front of a large crowd on Wednesday night in Lions Stadium.
 
An early second-half goal off of the right foot of junior Elizabeth Thoresen (Colts Neck, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) proved to the difference as the #7 Lions (13-0-1) stymied the #5 Ducks (13-1) offense to register their ninth shutout of the fall.
 
Stevens is having a tremendous season, but TCNJ was the better team the entire night. They dominated the majority of play and held a distinct advantage in the possession game. The Lions held a 24-12 edge in shots and produced several qualify scoring chances throughout the contest.
 
The opening period was scoreless, but the Lions were knocking on the doorstep throughout the opening 45 minutes. In the third minute, junior Jessica Goldman (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) turned in from the end line and ripped a shot that rung off the near post. Freshman Alexa Beatty (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) knocked in the rebound, but was called off-sides to negate the goal.
 
In the 21^st minute, senior Marissa Scognamiglio (Orangeville, NY/Pearl River) drilled a shot from just inside of 30 yards that hit off the crossbar and back into play. Stevens goalkeeper Lindsey Majnken jumped on the loose ball in the box to stifle the threat. Eight minutes later, Goldman roped a shot from 25 yards that drilled the crossbar and caromed back into play.
 
After the break, Thoresen delivered the game-winner in 49^th minute. Senior Christine Levering (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) chased a defender and intercepted her pass 30 yards out. She quickly delivered ground pass to Thoresen at the top right corner of the box. Thoresen fired a one-time shot past Mahnken and into the left corner of the net. It was the fifth goal of the season for Thoresen and her third in the last two games. Levering was credited with her seventh assist of 2016.
 
The Ducks had difficulty penetrating the Lions' defensive backfield once they got past the midfield line. Senior Brianna Petro (Martinsville, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), junior Kelly Wieczerzak (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley), junior Abigail Emmert (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks East) and freshman Jen McGrogan (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Twp.) were nearly flawless in front of goalkeeper Jessica Weeder (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon).
 
Weeder finished with three saves in the shutout, while Mahnken stopped five shots in the match.
 
TCNJ will rest two days before taking on Kean University on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the TCNJ Soccer Complex. A victory will clinch a first-round bye in the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship tournament.