The Montclair State University women’s soccer team’s first and final loss of the season brought 2025 to a close, falling 2-0 to Colby College in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) champion Red Hawks hit the road, traveling to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the opening weekend of the tournament. The Mules took an at-large bid into national play, dropping three matches in the regular season, but facing a tough strength of schedule. Colby ultimately got the better of Montclair State, capitalizing on its key opportunities.
Patrick Naughter's fourth NJAC championship came with an unforgettable group, achieving an undefeated regular season and making the national tournament. Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
“It always hurts when it ends,” said head coach Patrick Naughter. “It’s so much fun and it was such a special group. It’s disappointing, but I just love this group of kids.”
The first half saw scoring chances for each team, with the Red Hawks taking four corner kicks in the first 23 minutes. But headed toward a quiet end to the half, the Mules took advantage of a loose ball after a header in the 39th minute. Jane Maguire put one past goalkeeper Salange Bell, giving Colby the lone goal at the intermission.
Facing elimination, Montclair State opened the second half with ferocity, piling final-third entries and adding four more corners by the 56th minute. Despite the heavy attack, the Red Hawks were unable to find an equalizer.
“I felt like we did a lot of things for great chances,” said Naughter. “We took them the right way and today’s not our day. You hit crossbars instead of the ball hitting the net, felt a lot like the ball was bouncing away from us and to them.”
The Mules deadbolted the match in the 64th, after a sequence with mounting pressure led to a healthy look for Amanda Schneider, which she converted.
Despite a multi-goal deficit, Montclair State did not go gently into that good night. A commendable effort included nine total shot attempts in the second half, though the attack went unrewarded on the scoreboard.
“What pops out to me is how we fought to the end,” said sophomore midfielder Samira Lukovic. “I think it just shows our true character and a big part of who we are.” Philip Ehlers | The Montclarion
“What pops out to me is how we fought to the end,” said sophomore midfielder Samira Lukovic. “I think it just shows our true character and a big part of who we are.”
Saturday’s loss marked the end of an improbable run for the Red Hawks, who prevailed in a must-win NJAC tournament to continue their season. An excruciating end to the 2025 campaign did not arrive without reflection on a prosperous autumn.
“A really great trip with a really great team,” said junior defender Aria Hicks. “We won the regular-season NJAC, we won the championship NJAC, we had an undefeated regular season in-conference and out-of-conference. I’m really proud of the young girls that stepped up. We have a lot of freshmen and then our upperclassmen have really kept the culture alive.”
Montclair State will miss the presence of senior forward Kylie Prendergast, who was crowned NJAC Offensive Player of the Year and helped the Red Hawks to another NCAA tournament birth. Philip Ehlers | The Montclarion
The program certainly has a bright future, with four freshmen seeing the field in the season finale. But saying farewell to an impactful senior class will be tough.
“They’re priceless,” said Lukovic. “You can’t really replace them. They’ve done so much for us, on and off the field. They’ve literally kept this team together. So, it’s really hard to see them go.”
The preparation for next fall begins now, and a new journey will soon be embarked upon. But for Naughter, hoisting the NJAC trophy was a final testament to the unrelenting commitment of this group.
“This is [the seniors’] third NCAA tournament trip and they won two regular seasons. But to get the t-shirts, that’s what they always talk about. Like, what’s your goal when you walk in August? Everybody wants that t-shirt. So for this group to get over the hump, it’s amazing.”
