Box Score WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth University men's soccer goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky (Lincoln Park, NJ/DePaul Catholic) made four saves in his second shutout of the season as the Hawks played intrastate rival Rutgers to a 0-0 draw in front of 1,733 at Hesse Field on The Great Lawn Wednesday night. With the tie, the Hawks move to 2-3-1, while the Scarlet Knights are now 2-2-1.
“I'm really proud of the guys' response tonight coming off a tough win against Villanova,” said Monmouth Head Coach Robert McCourt. “Rutgers is a really good team, so I thought the guys responded well. Hopefully we can build in a positive manner from these games.”
Monmouth developed the game's first solid scoring chance in the fourth minute, with Jalil Blalock (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) getting behind the Scarlet Knights' defense for a one-on-one chance against Rutgers goalkeeper David Greczek. But the freshman's shot across the goal mouth skipped wide of the right post.
Greczek was there once again in the 21st minute as Miguel Alves (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict's) served a shot on goal that the Rutgers goalie was able to corral.
Klenofsky's first save of the match was perhaps his finest, deflecting away Drew Morgan's header off a corner from point-blank range in the 34th minute. Klenofsky also saved JP Correa's shot on goal as time expired on the first half.
Moments after stepping on the in the 55th minute, Danny Figarella (Wappingers Falls, NY/John Jay) got on the end of a cross in front of the net, but his header sailed just over the crossbar. The Scarlet Knights countered quickly, with Jason Wright putting a shot on net that Klenofsky cleaned up in the 59th minute.
Anderson Asiedu (Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana/St. Benedict's) got off a shot in the 85th minute, but Greczek was there for the save. Rutgers answered with 53 seconds left in regulation as Morgan put another header on net that Klenofsky was equal to for the save.
In the first overtime, Rutgers' Brian Hawkins put a free kick over the crossbar in the 98th minute in the lone quality chance of the period. Monmouth put pressure on the Scarlet Knights in the second overtime, with Colin Stripling's (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) shot off a David Acuña Camacho (Heredia, Costa Rica/Costa Rica YNT) corner kick sailing wide. Stripling again got free in front in the 107th minute, but his header again went wide.
The Hawks return to action Saturday, when they travel to Holy Cross. Kickoff from Worcester, Mass., is scheduled for 7 p.m.
