WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Junior midfielder Colin Stripling (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) scored twice and added an assist as the Monmouth University men’s soccer team cruised to a 4-1 victory over intrastate foe Seton Hall, Tuesday night at Hesse Field on The Great Lawn. With the win, the Hawks, who are now unbeaten in their last five matches, close out non-league play at 4-3-1. The Pirates dip to 0-5-1 with the loss. “We were trying some new guys in the back in the early stages (of the season) and we were learning as we went along,” said Monmouth Head Coach Robert McCourt. “But we feel like we’ve put together a good model, a good group of guys that are not giving up goals, so it’s nice to be on this kind of run right now. We go out to Canisius for our first conference match. It’s a difficult trip and a good team, but it’s nice to be coming off a win going into MAAC play.” Miguel Alves (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict’s) scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 31st minute, while Dan Pizzimenti (Manalapan, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) also scored his first goal of the season in the 60th minute. John Egan (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge), Zachary Pereira (Rahway, NJ/St. Benedict’s), Anderson Asiedu (Dormaa Ahenkro, Ghana/St. Benedict’s), David Acuña Camacho (Heredia, Costa Rica/Costa Rica YNT) and Derek Luke (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) also chipped in with one assist apiece. Goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky (Lincoln Park, NJ/DePaul Catholic) made six saves in securing the victory. The Hawks got the scoring started in the 15th minute, as Egan led Stripling into the box off a free kick and the junior beat Seton Hall goalkeeper Julian Spindler to the upper 90 to stake Monmouth to a 1-0 lead. Just over 15 minutes later, Asiedu played the ball wide to Pereira, who served a cross to the top of the box to Alves. The junior midfielder lofted his header with pace over Spindler and underneath the crossbar to give Monmouth a 2-0 lead. Seton Hall got a goal back in the 39th minute. John Philbin was able to control the ball in a scrum in front of the net and dished off to Andres Arcila, who finished from six yards out, cutting the Hawks’ lead to 2-1 at the half. Monmouth pushed its lead to 3-1 in the 60th minute, as Camacho sent a free kick into the box that was played on by a Stripling header to Pizzimenti, who flicked the ball over Spindler for the goal. Stripling then tacked on the Hawks’ fourth goal of the game, heading Luke’s free kick into the box past Spindler. The Hawks begin MAAC play Saturday, when they travel to Buffalo, NY, to face Canisius. Kickoff from the Demske Sports Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN3.