WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The #10-nationally ranked Monmouth University men's soccer team scored twice in the second half en route to a 2-0 Northeast Conference win over Long Island on Sunday afternoon on The Great Lawn. The Hawks improve their program-record unbeaten streak to 12 matches, now standing at 11-0-1 on the season and 3-0-1 in the league, while LIU falls to 5-6 overall and 2-1 in the NEC. The match was contested in front of 572 on Monmouth's Open House.
"It was a great environment at the field today with the Open House going on," said MU head coach Robert McCourt. "I thought we deserved to win the game and we will now look forward to our next conference challenge against Bryant on Friday."
Monmouth junior Hermann Award Watch List member Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) had a foot in both goals in the match, scoring the game-winner in the 71st minute on a penalty kick and assisting on fellow Hermann List member Chase Barbieri's (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) insurance tally 12 minutes later. LIU committed a hand ball in the box at the 70:50 mark of the match, allowing Kinne a chance at a PK, which he converted, slotting the ball to the left of LIU keeper Adam Janssen. Then, at the 82:44 mark, Kinne's shot was saved by Janssen, but Barbieri cleaned up the miss in front of the net with a one-touch finish.
"It felt good to be able to get that goal, we had been pushing up all game," said Kinne. "We got a break with the hand ball in the box, and we felt once we got one goal, that another one was coming. It was a great team win today."
Kinne now has a team-high six goals, including four game-winners, and is also tied for the team-lead with four assists. Barbieri's goal marked the junior's fourth of the season.
MU controlled the match's action all afternoon, outshooting LIU 19-1 in the match, including 9-0 in the first half. The Hawks also had 12 corner kicks in the game, compared to none for the Blackbirds.
Monmouth keeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made one save on the afternoon to log his sixth straight shutout, and his ninth of the season. His counterpart, Janssen, made five saves for Long Island.
The Hawks have now defeated the Blackbirds four straight times, and are unbeaten in their last five against the Brooklyn school.
Monmouth returns to action on Friday when they visit Bryant for the first ever meeting between the schools. The match is set for a 3:00 pm start in Smithfield, R.I.
