The Red Hawks get together for a team huddle.
Bryanna Luciano | The Montclarion
The final three games of the Montclair State University field hockey team’s regular season ended with extraordinary results. The Red Hawks brought their A-game and dominated each team whether they were away or on their home territory.
On Tuesday evening, the Red Hawks defeated Fairleigh Dickinson University- Florham in a crucial overtime battle.
Senior superstar Kaitlyn Struss not only scored the overtime goal to receive the win for Montclair State but also set a new record as the all-time leading scorer in program’s history with 138 points. Struss is the first person to break the record since Jennifer Tanis from 2004 to 2007.
After receiving a pass from junior Victoria Rossi, Struss scored the only goal of the game at 2:44 into overtime and her 15th goal of the season and 17th career winning goal.
Red Hawks goalkeeper Kaitlyn Maguire also committed eight saves in the win and earned her second shutout of the year.
The Red Hawks hold an impressive 6-0 record in overtime wins, and Struss is responsible for four of the game winners.
Tenth anked Montclair State carried their domination into their game against Ramapo College, shutting out the Roadrunners 3-0. All of the Red Hawks seniors were honored during the game, including Kaitlyn Maguire, Emily Lubach, Meghan Mollahan, Samantha Lisk and Kaitlyn Struss.
Junior Kailey Dalgauer scored the first goal of the game at 2:25 in the first half with an assist by Victoria Rossi. Dalgauer received a long pass sent into the circle and tipped it into the net from the left post to give the Red Hawks the lead and add to her seventh goal of the season.
About 10 minutes later, sophomore Kelly Watson landed one in the net unassisted by a loose ball off the right side back. At the 12:15 mark, Watson hopped on a rebound on the left side and connected with the net to give the Red Hawks insurance.
Wrapping up the first half, the Red Hawks did not allow the Roadrunners to get any shots. However, the Roadrunners were able to get a shot on goal in the second half.
Junior Amber Haslett tallied the third and final goal of the game for the Red Hawks at 33:16. Watson contributed yet again with an assist after sending a pass to the wing. Haslett swiftly handled the ball and launched a shot for her 12th goal of the year.
Senior Kaitlyn Maguire played a huge role in the Red Hawks’ unstoppable defense, picking up another shutout for her third of the season and eighth of her career.
With only 14 hours of rest, the Red Hawks were scheduled to meet for the final game of the regular season and for the first time against the third ranked Beavers. Although the 9:30 game was early in the morning, the duel of the Top 25 teams was overfilled with energy and thrill at Sprague Field.
Following their four game winning streak, Babson entered the game greedy, knocking the first goal of the game 3:43 into the first half. Sophomore Tori Roche tipped the ball into the net after retrieving a blast by Ashley Tango 25 yards out. Roche snatched her 13th goal of the season.
The Red Hawks wasted no time to fire back. After receiving a penalty corner from sophomore Kelly Watson, Amber Haslett smashed a goal from the wing, tying the game 1-1 three minutes later.
Throughout the game, the stats for both teams were almost identical. Babson and Montclair State each had 13 shots on goal, nine corners and no offsides.
The Red Hawks switched the board at 13:43 after taking the lead off of a penalty corner. Junior Kailey Dalgauer collected a cross-circle pass from Haslett and spooned a ball past Babson goalkeeper Diedre Barry, scoring her eighth goal of the season.
The second half consisted of only 10 shots total. The Red Hawks topped the Beavers with six shots vs. four shots and had three saves compared to the Beavers who had four saves.
The Red Hawks used the final minutes of the second half wisely by using penalty corners to run the clock, ending their final regular season game with a win and gaining their fourth consecutive win in a row.
Montclair State will prepare for the NJAC Field Hockey Championship which begins on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The fourth seeded Red Hawks will travel to top seeded Kean University for a 7:30 p.m. duel with the Cougars.
