EWING, N.J. – Allie O'Keefe scored on a stunning one-timer midway through the second half to give the TCNJ women's soccer team, and Alyssa Alfano added two insurance goals to lift the Lions to a thrilling 4-1 victory over Montclair State in Saturday's NJAC championship.
 
The Lions were tied 1-1 with under 25 minutes to play before O'Keefe's magical moment gave them a lead they only managed to add on to, and ultimately handed the blue and gold a repeat conference crown. TCNJ, ranked 5^th in the NCAA Power Index (NPI) and in a strong position to host at least one weekend of NCAA Tournament play, will find out its next site and opponent during the NCAA Selection Show at 2 p.m. on Monday.
 
The Lions nearly grabbed a shock lead five minutes in, when Rachel Robichaud's in-swinging corner rebounded off the far post and fell for Abby Najdzinowicz, whose follow-up from the 6-yard box was parried away by Montclair goalie Salange Bell.
 
TCNJ didn't have to wait long, though, as Najdzinowicz headed Rachel Burkhard's corner high off the far post and into the back of the net for a quick 1-0 lead in the 7^th minute. It was the Lions' sixth shot in the first six minutes alone.
 
The Lions ripped off 11 shots in the first 20 minutes, seven of them on target, but conceded an equalizer in the 22^nd minute to Aileen Cahill, who got to her right foot in the box and hit a hard shot past Ellen Williams and into the back of the net.
 
The teams went into intermission deadlocked at 1-1, and the intensity ratcheted up with each passing minute. O'Keefe gave the Lions a major piece of relief, squaring up a deflected ball and sending a rocket of a right-footed shot off the outstretched arms of a diving Bell and into the lower right corner of the net for her first goal of the season and a stunning 2-1 lead.
 
Less than three minutes later, Emily Weidner dribbled into the right side of the box and centered a cross for Alfano, who tracked back and chipped a right-footed effort into the lower left corner of the goal.
 
Alfano made it a brace in the 77^th minute, one-timing a long-range cross from O'Keefe past Bell.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ doubled up the Red Hawks in shots (20-10), racking up a 12-2 advantage in the first half
• Corner kicks were even at 6-6
• Niki Danz led MSU with three shots
• Alfano piled up seven shots, Ella Van Dine had four, and Victoria D'Imperio took three
• Ellen Williams finished five saves, all but one in the second half

NOTES

• TCNJ captured its first repeat NJAC crown since a three-year run from 2017 to 2019
• Montclair's goal ended a seven-game shutout streak for the Lions, who had gone more than a month since conceding in the teams' regular-season matchup
• Alfano doubled her season goal total and registered her second career multi-goal performance
• O'Keefe scored her fifth career goal
• Najdzinowicz netted her second goal as a Lion
• Williams posted her third-highest save total of the year