The College of New Jersey Athletics

EWING, N.J. - The ninth-ranked TCNJ women's soccer team found itself in unfamiliar territory in its match against SUNY New Paltz Saturday afternoon, but an offensive barrage in the second half turned a 2-1 deficit at the break into a hard-fought 4-2 win in front of the home fans. The victory is the fifth straight for the Lions, who celebrated their six graduating seniors prior to kickoff.
 
TCNJ (10-1-2, 5-1 NJAC) controlled the game from the opening whistle, getting a pair of shots on goal from Jenny Ward and Maggie Murphy in the first 10 minutes that were corralled by the Hawks' Jess Centeri. The third time was the charm for the Lions, however, when a cross from Alyssa Alfano found a wide open Ward at the far post, with the junior's header firing into the nylon to put TCNJ up 1-0 in the 14th minute.
 
New Paltz (6-6, 2-4 NJAC) saw its first attempt on net saved by Ellen Williams five minutes later, but turned a pair of counter attacks into two goals that had the Lions playing from behind for just the second time all season and the first in the month of October.
 
TCNJ regained some momentum over the final 15 minutes of the first half – the Lions outshout the Hawks 7-0 down the stretch – but mustered only one shot on frame before the halftime whistle sent TCNJ into the break down 2-1.
 
Hayden Tormasi, who had provided much-needed spark in the first half, got the nod to start the second and almost immediately paid off the decision with her first collegiate goal at the 50:05 mark. Ward saw her cross attempt blocked, but beating a pair of New Paltz's defenders to a loose ball in the box was the freshman, who bent a shot around Centeri and just inside the far post to level the score at two.
 
TCNJ seemed destined to take back the lead after piling on six corners in the next 20 minutes, but it wasn't until their eighth corner of the half that Alfano found classmate Caroline Freer at the far post to shoulder the ball home and put the Lions back up 3-2.
 
With the lion's share of play continually taking place in the Hawks' half, TCNJ scored its fourth and final goal of the afternoon in the 77th minute when yet another cross from Alfano found the foot of a streaking Bielan, with the senior volleying the ball home for her second of the season.
 
Now up two goals, the Lions were content to control possession until the final whistle sounded to clinch the 4-2 win over New Paltz.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ outshot the Hawks 29-5 with an 11-3 edge in shots on goal.
• The Lions also took eleven corners.
• Murphy and Alfano shared the team lead in shots with three apiece.

NOTES

• TCNJ honored its six seniors – Bielan, Alfano, Bella Norman, Jordyn Gavini, Freer and Taylor Krott – prior to kickoff, with all six starting the contest.
• Alfano's three assists push the senior's career total to 27, tied for the sixth-most in program history.
• Ward's goal was her team-best 10th of the season and extends her streak of games with a goal and/or an assist to six.
• Freer and Bielan's goals were the senior duos' third and second of the season respectively.
• Tormasi scored her first collegiate goal in a season-high 54 minutes off the bench.

UP NEXT

• The Lions are back home Wednesday, Oct. 21 to host Rutgers-Camden. Kickoff for TCNJ's final home game of the regular season is set for 6 p.m.