Ewing, NJ. … The College of New Jersey women's soccer team was eliminated from the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship Tournament via penalty kicks by Brandeis University in the second round of tournament action on Sunday afternoon.
 
Judge goalkeeper Alexis Grossman stopped two shots in the penalty kick shootout and Cidney Moscovitch tallied the clinching goal to send Brandeis onto the third round of the tourney next weekend.
 
TCNJ (17-1-2) held a 1-0 lead into the final minutes of play, but junior Samantha Schwartz netted the equalizer with just 4:07 remaining in regulation. That sent the contest into two scoreless overtime periods, forcing a shootout, which ended in a 4-2 advantage to the Judges.
 
The Lions took a lead in the first-half on a goal by junior Elizabeth Thoresen (Colts Neck, NJ/Red Bank Catholic). With 26:21 remaining in the period, senior Christine Levering (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) gained possession and slotted a through ball from the left side. Thoresen got behind the defense, took a touch, and blistered a shot to the near post upper corner to put the Lions up 1-0. It was the 10^th goal of the season for Thoresen.
 
TCNJ nearly made it 2-0 minutes later when junior Kayla Bertolino (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) found daylight near the top right corner of the box. She rifled a shot that banged off the crossbar and back into play.
 
Brandeis had two legitimate scoring chances in the second half. Schwartz fired a shot from the top of the box that Lions' goalkeeper Jessica Weeder (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon) tipped over the crossbar. On the ensuing corner kick, sophomore Hannah Maatallah knocked a header from the far post just over the top of the crossbar.
 
Play was physical in the second half. TCNJ had a few chances, but couldn't extend the lead. Schwartz and her defensive backfield did a solid job in keeping Brandeis within striking distance. Schwartz capitalized with a terrific shot off a loose ball from the top of the box, rippling the back of the net for her ninth goal of the season.
 
The Judges held a 13-10 advantage in shots. Weeder finished with a save and also stopped a shot in PKs. Grossm recorded two saves in the game.
 
With the advancement by shootout, Brandeis now plays McDaniel College, who defeated Connecticut College, 3-1.