WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Colin Stripling (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) scored his first goal of the season, but the Monmouth University men’s soccer team fell in its home opener, 3-1, to the University of Hartford Friday night at Hesse Field on The Great Lawn. With the loss, Monmouth falls to 0-3-0, while Hartford is now 1-0-2.

Hartford got on the board 49 seconds into regulation on a strong individual effort from Javoni Simms. Simms dribbled the ball through traffic to the top of the 18-yard box before rifling a shot inside the right post past a diving Eric Klenofsky (Lincoln Park, NJ/DePaul Catholic).

Hartford added to the lead in the 18^th minute when Klenofsky dove to stop Mikkel Song’s shot, resulting in a Brian Richards header into the net off the rebound.

Monmouth cut the deficit in half on Stripling’s first goal of the year in the 30^th minute. David Acuna Camacho (Heredia, Costa Rica/Costa Rica YNT) bent a corner to the far post where, following a deflection off a Hartford back, Stripling fired a shot underneath the crossbar to beat Hartford goalkeeper David MacKinnon.

But Hartford again had the answer in the 38^th minute, again on a Richards header. Andri Jonasson sent a cross from the left corner in front of the net that Richards headed in to account for the final 3-1 margin.

Monmouth developed chances in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Stripling nearly had a second goal off another Camacho corner in the 67^th minute, but his shot was cleared off the line by a Hartford back. Dave Nigro (Marlboro, NJ/Marlboro) also got a good look at the goal in the 75^th minute, but his attempt sailed wide.

Monmouth returns to action Sunday, when it plays host to Howard. Kickoff from Hesse Field is slated for 7 p.m.     

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