WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University women's soccer team had its seven-game unbeaten streak stopped on Friday afternoon with its 2-1 Northeast Conference loss to Sacred Heart on The Great Lawn. Monmouth, which opened league play 4-0 and was 6-0-1 in its last seven matches, falls to 7-5-1 overall and 4-1 in the NEC.

 

The Hawks, who posted four straight shutouts to open the conference campaign, had their scoreless streak snapped at 464:04, as the Pioneers opened the scoring in the eighth minute of play. Following a foul, Alyssa Brandofino lofted a free kick into the area that Jillian Picinich pounded home for her first score of the year, giving Sacred Heart a 1-0 lead at 7:36.

 

The Pioneers doubled their lead in the 71st minute when Kristen Verrette scored off the post on a breakaway, that beat Monmouth sophomore goalkeeper Jocelyn McCoy (Crofton, Md./Archbishop Spalding) at the far post.

 

Monmouth cut the deficit in half in the 79th minute when junior Monique Plescia (Norwood, N.J./Northern Valley Regional-Old Tappan) scored on a breakaway of her own, making the score 2-1.

 

The Hawks outshot the Pioneers 13-7 in the match, and had a 10-4 edge in corner kick opportunities.

 

McCoy made a pair of saves for the Hawks, while Sydney Judkins made two stops for Sacred Heart, which improves to 5-7 overall, and 2-2 in the NEC.

 

Monmouth returns to action on Sunday night when the Hawks host Fairleigh Dickinson in Northeast Conference action on The Great Lawn at 6:00 p.m., on Breast Cancer Awareness Night.