The College of New Jersey Athletics

This Week in TCNJ History

12/3/2020 10:19:00 AM

By: Evan Shomo

This fall, TCNJ Athletics is looking back on memorable games, moments, and milestones throughout its prestigious history. Today's This Week in TCNJ History moment dates back to Dec. 1, 1996. The TCNJ men's soccer team captured the NCAA Championship with a thrilling quadruple-overtime victory.

The Lions captured the program's first NCAA Division III Championship with a 2-1, 4OT victory over Kenyon College. Kenyon took an early lead just seven minutes into the game, but Mark Laurinaitis tied it up in the 30^th minute.

The back-and-forth battle for the crown on Kenyon's home field continued throughout regulation, with neither side being able to break through. Both teams were in pursuit of their first NCAA Championship. With the score still deadlocked at 1-1, the title game went into overtime.

The Lions were familiar with playing intense overtime games in the NCAA Tournament, as TCNJ prevailed in extra sessions in each of the two prior games. In the national semifinal, the Lions outlasted Ithaca in penalty kicks.

With time winding down in the fourth overtime, TCNJ sent in a free kick that wound up bouncing around in a crowded box. After a scramble, Laurinaitis punched it in with just six seconds left to secure the national title for the Lions.

TCNJ finished the '96 campaign with a 17-5-1 record. The 1996 men's soccer team was inducted into the TCNJ Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

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