WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University men's soccer team, ranked #12 in the latest NSCAA/HendrickCars.com National Top-25 Poll, defeated Robert Morris, 3-0 in Northeast Conference action on Sunday afternoon on The Great Lawn. The Hawks, unbeaten in their last eight matches, run their record to 12-1-2 overall this season and 6-0-2 in the league, while the Colonials fall to 8-7-2 and 4-3-2 in the conference.

With the win, the Hawks clinched a spot in the 2010 NEC Tournament. They will attempt to become the first program in conference history to win six straight regular season league titles and earn the right to host the league postseason tournament again next weekend.  

MU, which shut out its league-best ninth opponent in the match, took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute when senior Chase Barbieri (Hillsborough, N.J. /Hillsborough) slid a through ball to a streaking RJ Allen (Old Bridge, N.J. /St. Joseph's), who beat RMU keeper Toba Bolaji near post for his second goal of the season.

The Hawks increased their lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute when sophomore Ryan Clark's (Freehold, N.J. /Freehold Township) free kick from just outside the box found senior captain and Hermann Trophy Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, Conn. /Naugatuck), who headed in his team-leading 12th goal of the season.

Clark closed out the afternoon's scoring in the 70th minute with a brilliant strike on a free kick from 22 yards out, finding the back of the net for the second time this season.

Senior keeper and Hermann Trophy candidate Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, N.J. /Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made a save in recording his 34th career shutout.

Monmouth, which controlled the match's tempo from the onset, outshot the Colonials, 14-5, including 6-1 in the first half. The Hawks also held an 8-1 advantage on corner kicks, including a 6-0 difference in the first half, in the contest.  

The Hawks return to action on Friday when they travel to Emmitsburg, Md. for a 3:00 pm NEC match with Mount St. Mary's.