SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Monmouth University men's soccer team, ranked eighth in the nation, received goals from sophomore Max Hamilton (Medford, N.J. /Shawnee) and junior Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck) within 90 seconds of each other late in the second half to come away with a 2-0 win over Bryant on Friday afternoon. The Hawks improve to 12-0-1 for the first time in program history, including 4-0-1 in the Northeast Conference, with the win, while the Bulldogs fall to 3-10 and 1-4 in the league with the loss.
"This was another tough conference game on the road," said Monmouth head coach Robert McCourt. "Both teams created some very good scoring chances. In the end we got two quality goals and got a big win on the road. I am proud of the team's perseverance."
The match was scoreless until the 81:07 mark when Hamilton gathered a rebound off of a free kick and beat Bryant keeper Victor Tutino into the right side of the net for the midfielder's first goal of the season. The goal was Hamilton's second career tally, and marks the sophomore's first career game-winner. Less than 90 seconds later, freshman Ryan Clark (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Township) crossed the ball from the left side to Kinne, who headed it in to the right side of the goal for his conference-leading seventh marker of the season. The assist was Clark's fourth of his first campaign in West Long Branch, while Kinne, who is a Hermann Award Watch List member, now has 20 career tallies.
The Hawks controlled the match's action, outshooting the Bulldogs 19-9 overall and 10-4 in shots on goal, and also had six corner kicks, compared to five for the hosts.
Monmouth keeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J. /Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made four saves to record his seventh straight shutout, and his 10th of the season. The Hawks have now shut out seven straight opponents, tying a program-record set in 2006. MU has also now kept the opposition off the scoreboard for the last 689:15 of game action, going all the way back to its 4-1 win over Cornell back on September 18.
The Blue and White return to action on Friday, October 23 when they visit Robert Morris for a 3:00 pm league match.
