There is a buzz surrounding the Monmouth University (MU) men's soccer team, and it's growing louder with every passing victory.

The Hawks won a pair of games over the weekend — 1-0 over St. Francis on Friday and 2-0 over Long Island University on Sunday — to stretch their program record, 12- game unbeaten streak and solidify their standing as the team to beat in the Northeast Conference.

Monmouth has played brilliantly thus far, posting an 11-0-1 mark, which has earned them the No. 10 ranking in the NSCAA/Adidas National Rankings. Their ascent through the rankings has been steady, after debuting at No. 24 on Sept. 11, and for good reason. MU is taking care of business one game at a time and dominating play in the process. This weekend's action was no different.

On Friday, freshman Ryan Clark (of Freehold) headed in the game-winner in the 86th minute off a cross from junior Drew Von Bargen (of Medford) to beat St. Francis. The tally came after Von Bargen took the ball from a Terrier near midfield, raced up the right side and found Clark in font of the net. The goal was Clark's fifth on the year, which tied him for the team lead at the time, while for Von Bargen, it was his second assist of the season.

"We kept trying to push up against them all game and we weren't getting the numbers we wanted to," said Clark. "Drew sent a great ball across, and I was able to find a goal. This was a good win for us, but we need to keep working and fighting each match."

Following the game, head coach Robert McCourt spoke of his team's ability to control play throughout the affair, but echoed Clark's sentiments regarding the Hawks need to better take advantage of their scoring chances.

"I was pleased with the overall performance of the team today," he said.

"I thought we deserved to win this match. As we move forward, we need to do a better job of finishing our scoring opportunities earlier in the game."

While the Hawks outshot St. Francis (N.Y.) 11-4 in the match, including 5-3 in shots on goal, MU keeper Bryan Meredith (of Scotch Plains) made three saves for his eighth shutout of the season, and his fifth straight. The junior now has 19 career shutouts.

On Sunday, Monmouth junior Ryan Kinne (of Naugatuck, Conn.) was a factor in both MU goals, as he notched the game-winner in the 71st minute on a penalty kick and assisted on Chase Barbieri's insurance goal 12 minutes later. Kinne's game-winner was set up when Long Island University (LIU) was called for a hand ball in the box, and the junior took advantage, beating LIU goalie Adam Jansenn to the left. Then, at the 82:44 mark, Kinne blasted a shot that was saved by Janssen, but Barbieri was there for the rebound and found the net.

"It felt good to be able to get that [first] goal; we had been pushing up all game," said Kinne. "We got a break with the hand ball in the box, and we felt once we got one goal, that another one was coming. It was a great team win today."

Kinne now leads the Hawks with six goals, including four game-winners, and four assists, while Barbieri has four goals on the year. Meredith needed to make just one save [Monmouth outshot LIU 19-1] to post his sixth straight shutout.

Monmouth's dominant performance came in front of a big crowd, as Sunday was the school's open house. Those in attendance certainly got a showcase of just how good this Hawk team has been playing.

"It was a great environment at the field today with the open house going on," said McCourt. "I thought we deserved to win the game and we will now look forward to our next conference challenge against Bryant on Friday."

The Hawks are one of only three unbeaten teams in the top 25, along with top-ranked Akron (9-0-0) and No. 19 Brown (5-0-4), and have been simply dominant, outscoring the opposition by an 21-3 margin this year. The Hawks are also well represented in the NCAA Men's Soccer National Statistics Summary, with the defense ranking in the top 10 in the country in several categories, including goals-against average, shutout percentage, save percentage and win-lost-tied percentage. Meredith ranks fourth in the county in GAA and 10th in save percentage.

Offensively, the Hawks are beating teams with their balance, as evidenced by the fact that no Hawk scorer ranks in the top 60 in any individual category. However, Kinne does lead the NEC with 16 points, with Clark close behind in second with 13.

Monmouth currently sits atop the NEC, with Quinnipiac just a half-game behind early on. Those two teams will meet on Nov. 1 in West Long Branch.

But MU has three games prior to that anticipated showdown, starting with Friday's game at Bryant in Smithfield, R.I.

Should the Hawks continue to play at their current pace, this has the makings for a breakout season for a team that has cemented its status as one of the top programs in the NEC. Based on their play thus far, the Hawks seem to have much bigger aspirations this season.

Fierro setting the pace for Monmouth women

While the Monmouth men's soccer team is getting national acclaim, the MU women's team is putting together another solid season.

The Lady Hawks are 8-3-1 overall on the year, with a 3-0-1 mark in NEC play. On Friday, MU welcomed Bryant University to the NEC with a 1-0 win, as senior BrieAnne Nomelko notched her third goal of the year off an assist from Andrea Lopez at the 56:52 mark for the game's only goal. It was Nomelko's eighth point of the year, and the fourth assist for Lopez.

The one goal was all the Hawks would need, as keeper Lia Ferro continued her dominating play with two saves en route to her ninth shutout of the season and the 24th of her career.

"Tonight was a hard-fought game," said head coach Krissy Turner. "Also, to get another shutout is a terrific accomplishment."

Fierro has been the top performer for the Lady Hawks thus far, as she has twice earned the Adidas/NEC Defensive Player of the Week award, and is closing in on some team records with her string of shutouts. With 24 career shutouts, Fierro now stands third on the Hawks' all-time list for goalkeeper blankings. Lori Houlihan (1995-98) holds the top spot in program annals with 34.5 career shutouts, while Jeannette Nash (1988-91) ranks second with 30.5.

Fierro, who has played every minute so far for the Hawks between the pipes, has posted a 0.61 goals-against average after 11 matches, and a .825 save percentage.

Midway through her third season, Fierro has registered a 32-12-6 mark for the Hawks, while making 172 saves in 52 matches — with the 24 shutouts.

Monmouth returns to action on Friday when the Hawks travel to Moon Township, Pa., to face Robert Morris University in NEC action at 3:30 p.m.