MONTCLAIR, N.J. -The TCNJ men's soccer team wrapped up its two-game road trip with a match against Montclair State Wednesday night, playing the Red Hawks to a scoreless tie in hostile territory. The tie extends the Lions' unbeaten streak to 11 games, the program's best mark to start a season since at least the 1994 season that saw TCNJ finish third in the NCAA Tournament.
Â
Montclair State (10-2-1, 2-0-1 NJAC) went on the attack early in Wednesday's contest, racking up four corners and four shots in the opening 12 minutes of play. There every time his number was called, however, was
Sean Najdzinowicz, who made three of his season-high seven saves in the opening 45 minutes to send the game into halftime scoreless.
Â
Najdzinowicz was busy again to start the second half, denying a pair of Red Hawks shots headed for goal before the Lions (5-0-6, 1-0-2 NJAC) got their first shot on frame off the foot of
Tye Maser, only for the sophomore's attempt to be denied on the goal line.
Â
TCNJ was tasked with making three saves – two from Najdzinowicz and one by
Finn McCarthy on a last-ditch clearance – over the final 30 minutes before the final buzzer ended proceedings in a 0-0 draw.
Â
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions were outshot 17-3 with Montclair State holding an 8-1 edge in shots on goal.
- The Red Hawks took seven corners to TCNJ's two.
- Maser registered the lone shot on goal for the Lions.
- Montclair State's Tomas Monteiro finished with a game-high three shots on frame.
NOTES
- The shutout is the seventh of Najdzinowicz' career, moving him into a tie for ninth-most in program history despite only being a sophomore.
- This was also just the second time the Red Hawks – who scored a combined 25 goals in their five games leading up to tonight – have been shutout all season.
UP NEXT
- The Lions are back home Saturday, Oct. 10 to host Rutgers-Newark for Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m., with the 1996 National Championship team to be honored at halftime.
