MONTCLAIR, N.J. -  The TCNJ women's soccer team was on the road to take on Montclair State in NJAC play Saturday afternoon, using a second-half brace from Emily Weidner and some impressive play in goal by Ellen Williams to secure a 2-2 tie against the Red Hawks.
 
Maggie Murphy drew her fifth start of the season following a stellar outing against Stockton earlier in the week and nearly proved why with a header in the ninth minute, but the sophomore's effort headed for the top corner was denied by a diving Bell Salange to keep the Lions (4-4-4, 1-1-1 NJAC) off the board. Instead it was Montclair State (6-0-4, 2-0-1 NJAC) quickly turning the tide at the 12:20 mark with a header of their own finding its way past Williams to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lions got shots on frame from Ari Keily and Caroline Freer in search of an equalizer, but a well-run set piece doubled the hosts lead in the 41st minute and sent TCNJ into the break down 2-0.
 
The Red Hawks nearly put the game away in the opening minutes of the second half, firing off four shots in the frame's first 10 minutes, but Williams made three of her six second-half saves in the stint to keep it a two-score game.
 
Those saves proved pivotal, as in the 71st minute it was Weidner scoring her first of the day off a corner to cut the host's lead in half before Williams' number was called yet again at the 73:51 mark.
 
The sophomore committed a foul in the box to give Montclair State a penalty kick and another chance to put the game out of reach, but Williams had Kylie Pendergast's shot read the whole way, diving to her right and making another key save to keep the deficit at one.
 
In familiar territory having been tied or down in the final 10 minutes in each of their last two games, TCNJ turned to Weidner once again, who capitalized on a misplayed ball by a Red Hawk defender and slipped a shot past Montclair's goalie to level things in the 87th minute.
 
Murphy had a final opportunity with 30 seconds left to play but saw her shot sail high, with the final whistle ending festivities with a hard-fought, 2-2 tie for the Lions.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• In what was their closest-played game of the season, TCNJ held a narrow 15-14 lead in shots while both teams registered eight shots on goal.
• The Lions also held a slight 8-6 lead in corners in the match.
• Weidner finished with a game-high three shots on goal off the bench.

NOTES

• The brace is the first of Weidner's career, pushing her season total to a team-high four goals.
• Williams' six saves pushed her season total to 50, already surpassing her mark from all of last season. The sophomore is just two saves away from 100 for her career.

UP NEXT

• TCNJ returns home to face off against Ramapo Saturday, Oct. 11, with kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m.