EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ men's soccer team played Stockton to a scoreless stalemate in an NJAC grinder on Wednesday night.
 
The result snapped a four-game skid for the Lions (3-9-2, 1-3-1), who stayed two points behind the Ospreys (7-2-5, 1-1-3) for the sixth and final NJAC playoff spot.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neither side gained much of a foothold in the first half. The first half-hour passed with only four off-target shots between the two teams, and the first shot on frame was a 35-yard speculative effort in the 31^st minute by Matias Hornos that the Stockton keeper easily corralled at the right post
• The Lions, however, nearly had an early lead when Hornos blasted a right-footed effort from about 25 yards out. It beat the Osprey netminder but ricocheted hard off the crossbar to deny the rookie a spectacular goal
• TCNJ didn't allow a shot on goal until the 42^nd minute, a free kick from just outside the box that Julian Franco had no trouble snaring
• The blue and gold put some pressure on in the waning moments of the first half with consecutive corners. On the second, Kenville's in-swinger found an unmarked Sam Snyder, whose header was directed low and forced a short-hop save from Brady Bartletta
• Hornos continued to put his stamp on the proceedings, stripping an Osprey around midfield before dribbling through two defenders and launching a low bouncing shot that Bartletta scooped up for another save at the midway point of the second stanza
• The Lions threatened again in the 72^nd minute, when Chris Meder pounced on a loose ball inside the box following a corner kick but sent his close-range effort over the bar
• Hornos nearly won it with about a minute left, weaving through a host of Stockton defenders at the edge of the box and sending a low shot towards the left post. Bartletta dove to his right and just managed to tip it out of bounds for a corner, which came to nothing as time ran out shortly thereafter

NOTES

• Stockton held a slim 13-10 edge in shots, with TCNJ owning a 8-6 edge in corners
• Hornos paced the Lions with four shots, three of them on target, and Massimo Rodio added three of his own
• Franco finished with four saves to notch his second shutout of the season. It was the seventh clean sheet of his career, moving him into a tie for ninth on the program's all-time charts
• Wednesday night marked the fourth draw in the last six meetings between the teams. Five of the previous seven matchups were deadlocked at the end of regulation

UP NEXT

• The Lions come back home to take on No. 6 Montclair State on Saturday