The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) women’s soccer championship game took a lot of twists and turns Friday night and ultimately led to a victory for top-seeded Montclair State over the second-seeded Rowan University Profs. The Red Hawks won their first NJAC Championship since 2020 and improved their unbeaten streak to 19 games, which is one shy of the program record of 20 set in 2013.
The Red Hawks trailed 1-0 to the 11th-ranked team in the country, Rowan, after 86 minutes at MSU Soccer Park and came back to tie the game on sophomore forward Samira Lukovic’s goal. The Red Hawks then benefitted from a save from Montclair native and sophomore goalkeeper Salange Bell and a miss from Rowan to triumph in the penalty shootout 1-1 (4:3).
The visiting Profs nearly went ahead in the first half on two occasions. First, in the 20th minute, Rowan’s senior forward Olivia Giordano ripped a left-footed shot that was dropped by Bell, but she recovered to fall on top of it right before Giordano could get her own rebound. Then in the 29th minute, Rowan’s junior midfielder Sara Wiedeman curled a shot that went off the upper right corner where the post meets the cross bar and came out to her teammate Giordano who had an open net but got tackled before she could get her shot off by Red Hawk senior Emily Schuler.
The Profs held a 6-2 advantage in shot attempts and a 2-0 edge in shots on goal heading into halftime.
When the half began Montclair State started playing with more vigor going forward and were no longer hemmed in their own half of the field by the visitors. In the 60th minute, freshman defender Kira Henderson headed a corner kick on goal, but had her shot into the bottom left corner saved by a diving Rowan freshman goalkeeper Leah Edinger.
Just six minutes later, the Profs got the game’s first goal when they too had a corner kick and on the second ball, a one-time shot taken by sophomore defender Siena Sowers took a deflection off a Montclair State player and rolled past a diving Salange Bell and into the net.
Twenty minutes later, the Red Hawks tied it up when freshman defender Carly Guzzardo sent a through ball into the 18-yard box for Isabell Kronow. Kronow slid to keep the ball from going over the end line and managed to pass it to Lukovic. Lukovic’s initial shot was blocked but she slammed home the rebound in the 86th minute.
The game went to extra time where two 15-minute periods were played. A decider wasn’t found in extra time and the game went to a penalty kick shootout.
Montclair State’s junior midfielder Madeline Lesica took the first shot and scored. Then Rowan’s Angela Oliveto shot into the right side of the net but it was saved by Bell. Montclair State’s senior midfielder Mackenzie Albert scored the next penalty kick for Montclair State and Rowan held serve. MSU junior midfielder Shannon Mullins missed the third penalty for Montclair State and that brought things level again.
Montclair State and Rowan held serve through the next two PKs, which included Bell, the goalkeeper, scoring decisively into the upper left of the net for Montclair State. With sudden death activated, Rowan senior defender Elaina Corson had to make the fifth penalty kick for the visitors to stay in it. She missed it off the cross bar and Montclair State’s bench then ran onto the field to celebrate with Bell.
HEAD COACH PATRICK NAUGHTER
On the emotions of winning the NJAC Championship game in PKs.
No, it’s just insane, right? Coming from behind against No. 11 in the country, a team that’s unbelievable. Not in my wildest dreams. It seems cheesy, it seems fairy tale, it seems corny but this team’s special, this group has it, they got magic in them. Shouldn’t be surprised anymore, if someone keeps surprising you over and over, gotta believe them, they’re awesome.
On what changed from the first half to the second half.
I just thought our energy, our effort. We just said at halftime like, ‘hey, you can’t play any worse and it’s zero-zero.’ So maybe luck was on our side tonight. It’s important to score when you’re playing well and that’s one of the things Rowan’s going to feel bad about, that they didn’t ice it in that first half. Our kids were also really young, so it takes us a minute to get our feet back underneath us. I thought we grew into the game really well and unbelievable build up. It was a great ball by Carly (Guzzardo), Izz (Kronow) crosses it, Samira (Lukovic) doesn’t quit on it, like she gets herself in the box and pokes it home. That’s an amazing goal.
On Salange Bell and her taking a penalty in the shootout.
Salange is awesome. We were talking about, ‘alright who takes (penalty kick) number five,’ and I kind of said like, game on the line, season on the line, it’s not about who’s going to hit the best ball, it’s about who’s gonna maintain their nerve and their composure and Salange is the toughest kid I coach. She’s a warrior, she’s a winner, so if the season’s on the line, I know those guys trust Salange so I trust her too.
On his message to the fans.
They’ve been so supportive. This is one thing I don’t know if you guys know. I was a nine-year-old little kid coming to games here. I got to ball boy games here for the men’s (soccer) team when I was a little kid like, I grew up one mile from campus. For me to be able to coach at not just my alma mater, my hometown school and alma mater, it’s just the coolest thing in the world and this group’s likeable. That’s why (the fans came) out. They’re not out here for me or anything like that. They’re out her for these kids.
MIDFIELDER SAMIRA LUKOVIC
On her game-tying goal.
Honestly, we knew it was coming. We had to just keep going at it and it was a collective effort. We knew we had to stay calm and composed and we just kept going at it and we got it.
On what Coach Naughter’s message was to the team at halftime.
Just to keep doing what we know how to do best. We knew that if we kept working as hard as we could, it was going to come eventually and that’s what happened. We worked collectively, amazing, we all put in as much as we possibly could so we’re just happy that this was the outcome.
On what winning the NJAC Championship means to the history of the program.
This is an amazing program. Probably one of the best decisions of my life coming here, so, I’m just glad that we were able to do something big for the program but everybody put in their work, everybody sacrificed a lot. So yeah, it’s very, very special for us. It’s something that we’ve worked for, for so long so we’re just glad we were able to get this win.
On why the team came together in the NJAC postseason tournament.
Just the tightness. We went through ups and downs throughout this game so just being there for each other, sticking together and working hard together…what people don’t see is actually how tight this group is and how we all really do care for each other. So with that collectiveness, I think that’s why we got to where we are.
Behind an extraordinary team effort, the Montclair State women’s soccer team was able to come from behind on Friday night against a nationally ranked, conference rival and win their fifth NJAC Championship in program history. Now, the Red Hawks will have to wait for Monday’s NCAA Selection Show to see their matchup and location for the NCAA Division III tournament, but Coach Naugther is just happy that his team’s season isn’t over yet.
“I love this group. They’re young kids and old kids. Our old kids have been through so much adversity and they’ve done such a good job of leadership. I’m just so happy that we get, practice on Monday you know? I just want to be around this group more.”
