EWING, N.J. - The TCNJ men's soccer team kicked off the Steve DeMatteo era in dominant fashion Friday night, using a four-score second half to complete a 5-0 rout of Immaculata in front of the home crowd. The Lions' five goals are the most in a season-opener since 2016, with the team's goal differential also serving as TCNJ's best mark since beating York (NY) 5-0 in 2015.
 
The Lions (1-0) applied pressure early, but a pair of shots from Chris Meder were turned aside by Matteo Paolillo just over a third of the way through the half. TCNJ kept its foot on the gas for the remainder of the opening period, finally breaking through in the 42nd minute off the foot of freshman Aidan Ayar.
 
Meder received a pass and turned into open space before finding a streaking Ayar. The freshman took one touch into the box and slipped the ball coolly into the far corner to bag his first collegiate goal and break the scoreless tie heading into halftime.
 
Riding the momentum from the end of the first, the Lions wasted no time tripling their tally with goals in the 48th and 49th minutes to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Meder struck first on his fifth shot of the game, heading a low cross from J.J. Zaun to the far post to double TCNJ's advantage. Just over a minute later, Meder and Massimo Rodio combined to find a cutting Pablo Argueta inside the six, with the junior letting the ball go between his legs before using his outside foot to score his first of the season.
 
The Mighty Macs (0-1) nearly got one back in the 60th minute, but an impressive one-on-one save by first-year Sean Najdzinowicz kept the visitors off the board. Instead, it was Matt Will adding his name to the box score at the 67:23 mark when the freshman took a lofted feed to the far post from Ayar and tapped it into the corner to build the lead to four.
 
Festivities would come to a close in the 77th minute when Meder scored his second of the night, this time heading a cleared ball into enemy territory before beating Immaculata's lone defender and slotting the ball past the goalie to make it a 5-0 game. The goal brought Meder's point total to six on the night (2G, 2A), tying the junior for the most in a single game since 2017.
 
The score would hold for the final 13 minutes, giving TCNJ and DeMatteo their first win of the season in shutout fashion.
 
The Lions return Sunday, Aug. 31 to take on Penn State Berks, with kickoff scheduled for noon.