NJAC Tournament first round:
Montclair State 3, Stockton 1

Rafael Duarte

Boxscore
Fifth-seeded Richard Stockton (14-5-2) was eliminated from the NJAC tournament with a 3-1 defeat to fourth-seeded Montclair State (13-4-2) in the first round. Rafael Duarte (Ocean City/Ocean City) scored the lone goal for the Ospreys on a penalty kick but Stockton’s 12-game unbeaten streak (10-0-2) was snapped by the four-time defending NJAC champs. Ospreys’ goalie Tim Brett (Palmyra/Palmyra) registered 10 saves in the match.

Stockton nearly took the early lead on a shot by Brian Thomsen (Brick/Msgr. Donovan) that was deflected away by a Montclair State defender in the 22nd minute. The Red Hawks later jumped out to a 2-0 lead by scoring two goals just under five minutes apart at 32:34 and 37:22 respectively. Stockton was outshot 11-2 in the first half, with Brett making five saves.

The Ospreys finally broke through at 63:31 when Duarte buried a penalty kick inside the right post for his 14th goal of the season. Stockton nearly tied the match at 71:42 on a shot by Sal Pistone (Blackwood/Highland) that glanced off the post. Montclair State produced an insurance goal five minutes later and Stockton was unable to rally. Just a week after knocking off the Red Hawks 2-1 in the regular season, the Ospreys were ousted from the NJAC tournament 3-1 in the rematch.