FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 31, 2011

 WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's soccer team recorded a 2-1 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday night in Northeast Conference action. In the regular season finale for both sides, the Hawks received goals from senior Courtney Snyder and sophomore Monique Plescia in the victory.

With the victory, the Hawks secured the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Northeast Conference Championships, to be played Friday and Sunday, at the site of the top-seeded Saint Francis (Pa.) Red Flash. In the semifinals, Monmouth will face No. 2 Long Island, which the Hawks defeated on October 2, 3-2, on The Great Lawn.

Monmouth, which became the home site of the contest due to the weather system that passed through North Jersey over the weekend, outshot the Knights 26-6 in the match and held a 9-1 edge in corner kick opportunities. Monmouth improves to 11-7 overall and finished its conference slate at 7-3, while also posting a 7-2 record at home on The Great Lawn.

"It was great to come out with a win in our final regular season match," stated head coach Krissy Turner. "We have a tough game versus Long Island on Friday, and the momentum from tonight should carry over."

Monmouth took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute when Dana Costello's corner kick service found a charging Snyder at the back post, as the midfielder notched her seventh marker of the season.

The Blue and White nearly took a two-goal lead into the break but junior Claudia Vazquez's attempt from 30 yards out hit the crossbar, in the 39th minute.

Before Monmouth was able to up its advantage in the match, junior Nicole Close drilled a ball off the post with 24 minutes remaining, and with 15 minutes on the clock, junior Stacy Kadell sent a left-footed cross into the box, but Costello's header hit the bar.

The Hawks finally doubled their advantage in the 81st minute when Vazquez lifted a ball to sophomore Alexandra Baca, who nodded the ball to a streaking Costello, who flicked a pass to Plescia for her seventh tally of the year.

The Knights trimmed the Monmouth lead in half in the 86th minute when Lindzy Williams played a ball into the box that senior Rashidah Sherman deposited into the far post at 85:26.

Senior Stephanie Tanzi made nine saves in net for the Knights, while Fracesca Yaccarine was credited with a save in the first half on a shot by Costello that she cleared off the line.

Monmouth freshman goalkeeper Jocelyn McCoy made two saves in net for the Hawks.

Monmouth returns to action on Friday, November 4, when the Hawks take on Long Island University in the semifinals of the 2011 Northeast Conference Championships, in Loretto, Pa.