'EWING, NJ...11/8/05 Junior defender Meg Hess (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) scored the go-ahead goal and added two assists to lead The College of New Jersey's field hockey past Keene State College (NH) on Wednesday afternoon in Lions' Stadium. TCNJ has advanced to the NCAA Division III second round, which will be hosted by Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME) on Saturday, November 12. TCNJ faces the Bowdoin Polar Bears at 11:00 a.m. TCNJ improves to 15-4 on the year, while Keene State's season finishes with the Owls standing at 14-9.

TCNJ led 3-1 at the half. Junior Jess Berkowitz (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) scored first in the match on a pass from rookie Katie Reuther (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) at 19:15. Hess put TCNJ up 2-0 with a goal at 22:52.

Keene's junior Nichole Garneau (Twin Mountain, NH/White Mountain Regional) broke up the shutout bid on a feed from junior Amanda Rosenbeck (Wilder, VT/Hartford) on a penalty corner at 28:04. The goal was the 10th of the year for Garneau.

TCNJ answered right back on a penalty corner at the end of the first half as sophomore Sheri Grondski (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) converted the pass from Hess and Berkowitz.

Lubin added her second goal on a penalty corner at the 58:00 minute mark of the contest on a feed from Grondski and Hess. Junior Allison Greene (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) added the final goal of the game on an assist from Berkowitz.  Greene , the Lions' leading scorer now has 31 points on 14 goals and three assists, while both Hess and Lubin each have seven goals on the year.

TCNJ's senior goalie Kristina Beyel (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) recorded one save in net with one goal allowed, while Keene's junior goalie Sara Joyce (Hampstead, NH/Pinkerton Academy) made 11 saves in the loss.

"They're a very disciplined team that pass extremely well, "said KSC Coach Amy Watson.  "They set the pace and executed their game plan. "We tried to make adjustments at half-time and did a good job containing them.  I though we played well defensively in the circle, but in a 70 minute game, the ball is eventually going to go in the net."

Despite the loss, Watson was proud of her team's performance this season.  "We had a rocky September, but turned things around in October and won the Little East Tournament.  That was our goal.  Everything else was icing on the cake."

Keene State was making its fourth overall appearance the NCAA Tournament.   The Owls played in the 1983 Division II tournament, and went to the Division III championships in 1998 and 2004. In 1983, KSC defeated Bentley College 1-0 before falling to Bloomsburg (Pa.) University 2-1 in the regional finals. Keene State has yet to advance to the second round in Division III. The 1998 squad dropped a first-round game to College of New Jersey (2-0), while last year's team was upset by Maine-Farmington (3-2) in a double-overtime game played at Owl Athletic Complex.

TCNJ has now appeared in all 25 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championships, including the last 21 under current head coach, Sharon Pfluger. TCNJ won the first NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship in 1981 as they beat Franklin & Marshall College 2-0. Since then, the Lions have captured the championship nine titles (1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996 and 1999).

With the win on Wednesday, TCNJ is now 63-15 lifetime in the NCAA Tournament, while Keene which is making the program's fourth appearance is now 1-4  in the NCAA's.