WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University men's soccer team won their fourth straight match as sophomore Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) scored a pair of goals in MU's 3-0 win over La Salle on Sunday on The Great Lawn. The Hawks, who are now unbeaten in the last six matches, improve to 5-1-1 on the season while the Explorers fall to 1-5-2.
“Today's match is the closest we've come to playing a full 90 minutes of soccer all year,” said head coach Robert McCourt.
Kinne led a Monmouth attack that outshot La Salle 20-7, including 12-3 in a first half that saw the Hawks control the majority of the action. MU's first tally came in the 42nd minute when freshman George Quintano (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan), starting his second match of the year, scored his first collegiate goal off of an assist from Rob La Rocca (Holmdel, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) to give MU a 1-0 lead.
The match remained that way until later in the second half when Kinne took control, scoring two goals in less than three minutes. The first came on a free kick from the top of the 18-yard box in the 70th minute, with the second coming when Drew Von Bargen (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) played a ball down the right side to RJ Allen (Old Bridge, N.J./St. Joseph's) who crossed to Kinne for the tally. Von Bargen's assist was his first point of the season and second career helper, while Allen logged his second assist of the season. Kinne now has four goals on the year after his two today.
MU keeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made three saves to log his fifth straight shutout. In fact, the Hawks did not allow a goal in the month of September, holding the opposition scoreless for the last 490:44 of game action, dating all the way back to MU's 2-1 win over Fairfield back on August 31.
“We knew we had to match their intensity,” said assistant coach Hugh MacDonald. “We have a lot of work ahead of us this year, but today was a step in the right direction.”
Monmouth held an 11-2 advantage on corner kicks in the contest over La Salle. Explorer keeper Andrew Bernhard made eight saves in the contest for the visitors.
The Hawks return to action on Wednesday, October 1 when they host Columbia at 3:00 p.m. on The Great Lawn.
