MONTCLAIR, N.J. — In a wild finish, the Montclair State University women’s soccer team won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship, defeating Rowan University 4-3 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie on Nov. 7. The victory gave Montclair State its fifth NJAC championship in program history, its first since the 2020-2021 season and the fourth of head coach Patrick Naughter’s career.
While Montclair State pulled out the win, they got off to a very rough start in the first half. The Red Hawks did not take a single shot, facing six from the Profs, two of which were on goal. Still, the game remained scoreless going into the half.
With a dramatic victory over Rowan, Montclair State claimed the NJAC crown, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Photo credit: Wyatt Lardieri
Naughter spoke about the first half after the game and why he felt the team got off to such a slow start.
“I just thought our energy, our effort, we just said at halftime, like, hey, you can’t play any worse,” Naughter said. “You can’t get beat any worse, and it’s 0-0. So maybe, I don’t know, like, maybe luck’s on our side tonight. You know it’s important to score when you’re playing well, and that’s one of the things I think Rowan’s going to feel bad about [how] they didn’t ice it in that first half.”
Coming out of the half, the difference in Montclair State’s play was quickly noticeable. Just over a minute into the half, junior midfielder Shannon Mullins took a shot that was saved by freshman goalkeeper Leah Edinger. While this may seem insignificant given that the shot didn’t go in, it was a sign of what was to come for the Red Hawks later in the half.
Rowan ended up striking first, with a goal from sophomore defender Siena Sowers to put the Red Hawks behind in a game for the first time since the first half of their Oct. 25 game against Stockton University.
For about the next 15 minutes of the game, nearly nothing went right for Montclair State. Misses from four different players deflated the crowd’s energy at MSU Soccer Park and with little time left, some may have been questioning whether or not the Red Hawks’ season might come to an end.
Montclair State was slow out of the gate, going without a shot through the first half in an eventual victory over Rowan in the NJAC championship. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Montclair State Athletics
Then, with 3:52 left in the game, sophomore forward Samira Lukovic had the goal of her career, tying it up at one apiece and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. After the game, Lukovic spoke about what was going through her head during that play.
“We knew we had limited time, but we knew we had to give it all, that’s what we kept repeating to ourselves,” Lukovic said. “Only a few minutes left, so just go and run as much as we can and put as much work [in] as we possibly can.”
By the end of regulation, it was all tied up 1-1, with what ended up being the first of two overtime periods still yet to go. Both overtime periods were relatively quiet, with both teams playing tight defense. There was just one shot on goal in the 20 total minutes, from Montclair State freshman fullback Carly Guzzardo and it was saved by Leah Edinger once again.
With the game still left tied, it was time for penalty kicks. Montclair State made four out of their five kicks, with the championship-winning kick coming from sophomore goalkeeper Salange Bell.
After the game, Naughter spoke about Bell and the impact she has had on this team.
“Salange is awesome,” said Naughter. “We were kind of talking about, alright, [penalty kick] number five, who takes number five? And I kind of said, ‘Game on the line, season on the line, it’s not about who’s gonna hit the best ball, it’s about who’s gonna maintain their nerve and their composure.’ Salange Bell is the toughest kid I coach, she’s a warrior, she’s a winner.”
With this NJAC championship, each and every one of the players and coaches on this roster has proved themselves to be a warrior and a winner. Not only do they win the conference trophy, but they do so in a dominant fashion, going an undefeated 13-0-6 on the season. They are also now guaranteed to appear in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III tournament.
Montclair State wins the 2025 women's soccer NJAC championship. Photo credit: Wyatt Lardieri
