Women's Lacrosse

Rams Have Strong Showing in Semifinals

Skyline Semifinals: Montclair State - 20, Farmingdale State - 6

Montclair, N.J. - Freshman midfielders Jaclyn Messina (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown) and Justine Rothar (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) led for Farmingdale State (4-11), but the fourth seeded Rams fell 20-6 in the Skyline Conference Semifinals to the two-time defending champion and top seed Montclair State on Wednesday afternoon.

Junior Marykate DiBenedetto (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) finished with four goals as the Red Hawks (8-7), who advanced to the Skyline Finals for the third straight season, will face No. 2 seed Kean in the title game on Saturday, May 3rd at Sprague Field beginning at 1:00 pm. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Kean defeated the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the other Semifinal game, 13-12.

Messina gave the Rams a 1-0 lead 22 seconds into the contest, but Montclair scored four times over the next two minutes to take a 4-1 lead. Farmingdale would get a goal back as freshman midfielder Alecia Fuschetto (Melville, N.Y./Hills East) scored, but again Montclair answered with a run for a 7-2 Red Hawk advantage with 19:09 left in the opening period. Junior midfielder Theresa Rokee (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) collected a goal for Farmingdale to make the score 7-3, but Montclair tallied four straight as MSU led at halftime, 11-3.

The Rams held Montclair to nine goals in the second half, scoring three of their own for the final 20-6 score. Messina had two goals for Farmingdale, while Rothar finished with one goal, one assist and three draw controls.

Freshman goalkeeper Talia Katz (Lower Merion, Pa./Lower Merion) finished with eight saves for Montclair State.

Senior goalkeeper Janine Forman (N. Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) had 19 saves for the Rams in her final collegiate game, finishing with a career total and program record 625 saves over three seasons.

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