Montclair, NJ (3/15/10) – Senior midfielder Taylor Bonner (Old Bridge, NJ / Old Bridge) scored three goals while sophomore attack Tyler Meth (Basking Ridge, NJ / Ridge) added a pair of scores as Montclair State knocked off 16th-ranke Wesleyan University, 10-8 at Sprague Field on Monday afternoon.

Pat Nann (Livingston, NJ / Livingston) added two goals as the Red Hawks improved to 2-3 on the season while snapping a three-game losing streak. MSU had dropped the last three contests by a combined five goals.

Junior attack Conor Malangone (Lake Grove, NY / St. Anthony’s) and sophomore Teddy Citrin (New Canaan, CT / New Canaan) each scored three times for the Cardinals, who have lost two straight and are now 2-2 in the early season.

Montclair State broke out on top 1-0 at 13:08 in the opening period as Robert Sinicola (North Caldwell, NJ / West Essex) scored on a somewhat bizarre goal. Looking to clear the ball, Wesleyan turned the ball over with goalkeeper Grant Covington (Gloucester, MA / Buckingham Browne & Nichols School) way out of the net. MSU took possession and on the quick start, Sinicola fired a ball from 30 yards out into the empty net giving Montclair State a quick 1-0 lead.

Wesleyan answered right back as Jon Killeen (Derry, NH/Bishop Guertin) scored 46 seconds later and then fed Malangone with 11:26 to play as the Cardinals went in front 2-1. Montclair State would regain the lead as Nann collected his first with 5:41 to go and Bonner added another with 2:20 left as the Red Hawks led 3-2 after the first period. Bonner’s second goal pushed the MSU lead to 4-2 but Citrin scored unassisted and Malangone netted a man-up goal with 3:57 to go before halftime as the teams were deadlocked at 4-4 heading to intermission.

The back-and-forth scoring continued in the second half as Bonner and Nann scored 22 second apart to give Montclair a 6-4 lead. However, Graham Gnall (Morristown, NJ / Delbarton) and Malangone countered for Wesleyan as the game was tied for the fourth time with just over four minutes remaining in the third period.

Montclair would regain the lead for good as Bonner set up Thomas Ring (Nutley, NJ / Nutley) with 1:35 to play and Meth powered his way toward the net with 31 seconds showing on the clock as MSU went in front 8-6 at the end of three periods. Meth extended the lead to 9-6 just past the midway part of the fourth and Ryan Kloss (Flemington, NJ / Hillsborough) added a goal 44 seconds later as the Red Hawks widened their lead to 10-6 with 6:2 to go.

Citrin would get a score back for the Cardinals with 5:45 left to keep Wesleyan close and the Cardinals nearly closed the gap further but John Froats’ (Yorktown, NY / Yorktown) shot 13 seconds later hit the post. Montclair gained possession and ran time off the clock to help preserve the lead. Goalkeeper Andrew Rosado (Elmwood Park, NJ / St. Joseph’s (Montvale)) made three saves and got a little extra help as Citrin clanked one off the cross bark with 52 seconds left.

Citrin scored with 10 seconds left for the final margin.

Rosado finished with 10 saves for Montclair State, which was outshot in the contest 41-23. Defender Anthony Dzienkiewicz (Jackson, NJ / Jackson Memorial) forced three turnovers and collected two ground balls while Collin Marsh (Asbury, NJ / North Hunterdon) posted a team-best four ground balls.

Faceoff specialist Matt Ward (Boxford, MA / Phillips Academy) was outstanding for Wesleyan as he was 15-of-22. Kileen recorded four ground balls with Froats and Kyle McDonald (Bloomfield, CT/Kingswood-Oxford School) each getting three. Covington stopped eight shots in the contest.

The Red Hawks are back in action on Saturday, March 20 as they host another Top 25 team at Sprague Field. MSU takes on Stevens at 1:00 pm. Wesleyan is home on Wednesday, March 17 for a 4:00 pm tilt with Farmingdale State.