The Lions took the first step toward their goal of a championship this week, clinching a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) playoff berth with a 3-0 win over the Roadrunners of Ramapo College.
The offense didn't waste any time getting on the board, as junior defenseman Matt Erny scored his first goal of the year on a feed from junior forward Kevin Luber early in the first half.
As the second half rolled around, the Lions continued their blistering pace, with sophomore defender Phill Cunha tallying a score in the first minute of the second half.
Several minutes later, senior midfielder Ryan McMahon recorded his first goal of the campaign on another assist from Luber.
"Clinching the playoffs was our first step, and now we want to finish out with a win Wednesday against Rutgers-Newark and get a higher seed," McMahon said.
In the net, sophomore Chris Kulick recorded three saves to earn the first shutout of his career.
Before clinching their playoff spot, the Lions had a disappointing outing as they fell at home to the Mules of Muhlenberg College.
The Mules scored two goals in the first half, including one in the first five minutes to seal the victory.
Despite the loss, the story for the College was sophomore goalie Eric Goldwaser, who received a red card that resulted in a converted penalty kick by senior Mule Billy Dalton. Goldwaser was subsequently ejected from the contest.
"Eric got caught in a tough spot on a breakaway, the player got past him and he knocked him over in the box," McMahon said.
The Lions are now 8-8-2, and 4-4 in the NJAC.
The men's soccer team will host a key NJAC matchup tonight against the Scarlet Raptors of Rutgers University-Newark. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Soccer Complex.
Michael O'Donnell can be reached at odonnel7@tcnj.edu.
