JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Junior forward JULIA CASERES (Union, NJ/Union) notched her third consecutive hat trick, scoring four times to garner Most Valuable Player accolades, and sophomore midfielder ASHLEY CUNHA (Edison, NJ/Edison) contributed two goals and two assists as New Jersey City University won the 2010 NJCU Liberty Cup championship with an 8-1 victory over SUNY Old Westbury on day two of the tournament on Saturday afternoon at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
NJCU wins its third straight game and improves to 4-1 on the year, finishing the weekend with a 2-0 record. Ramapo College, 3-0 winners over Mount Saint Mary College in Saturday's earlier game, also posted a 2-0 record. The first tie-breaker was fewest goals allowed, and NJCU, which also defeated MSMC by a 3-0 margin in the tournament opener, claimed the Liberty Cup title with only one goal against; Ramapo had allowed two goals in a win over SUNY Old Westbury. The Panthers dropped to 1-4-0 with the loss.
“I'm proud the school gave us the opportunity to host this tournament for the first time and that the trophy stayed right here at NJCU,” said fifth-year head coach ROBERT BIELAN. “We recently had a team meeting and discussed where we are and what we wanted to do [this year]. We're not the team of old where we had to rely on one or two players. We are a team that wants to be able to play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. We are here to showcase our talents and while we're still young and growing, we want to go out and put on a good show and play at the highest level.”
NJCU outshot the Panthers, 24-6, including 18-4 in the first half. The second period was reduced to 25 minutes due to injuries, as the teams completed an official 70-minute contest.
Caseres notched her 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th goals of the season in just her fifth game, netting a hat trick for the ninth time in her first 27 games at NJCU, and moved into fourth place in NJAC history in career scoring with 154 points and 65 goals in 46 collegiate games. She recorded her 100th career point as a member of the Gothic Knights in the game and now has 43 goals and 16 assists in 27 games as the leading striker on the club.
Caseres scored seven goals during the tournament, 10 in her last three games and has collected at least one in every contest this season.
Bielan noted: “At a meeting this week I talked to Julia about her scoring, and she's going to score goals when she works hard. I reminded her to always check her options and take good percentage shots—things I want her thinking about when she's in a scoring situation.”
Joining Caseres on the All-Tournament team are Cunha, sophomore midfielder GABRIELLE CLARKE (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens), junior striker JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken)—who after scoring a goal moved to fullback and helped preserve the tournament title—and junior midfielder/defender ERICA BUONACQUISTA (Aberdeen, NJ/Bayonne), who led the Gothic Knight defense in two games.
Cunha, who scored 20 goals last season as a rookie, but has moved to the vital center midfield position this year with the return of Albuja to the squad, had her best statistical game of the year, including the game-winning goal. She now has three goals on the year.
Clarke tallied a goal and an assist and Albuja scored once, giving her five markers on the year. Junior center midfielder KATLIN VARGO (Edison, NJ/Union Catholic), junior defender MARGIE ALFANO (Randolph, NJ/West Orange) and sophomore midfielder CHELSEA SPETHMANN (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights-Wood Ridge) each collected assists; Spethmann has four helpers on the year.
Junior keeper LAURA ROBINSON (Edison, NJ/Edison) made three saves, including a key breakaway stop of Old Westbury junior forward Cassandra Esposito (Valley Stream, NY/Valley Stream North) at 21:05 of the first half, to preserve the fewest goals against advantage in the tournament.
Esposito scored the Panthers lone goal at 8:26 of the first half—26 seconds after Cunha had given the Knights a 2-0 lead. Senior keeper Jennifer Kupfer (Bellmore, NY/Mepham) made eight saves for the Panthers.
NJCU gained a 1-0 lead 5:01 into the game as Clarke beat two defenders dribbling on the left wing before firing home a high shot down the middle of the target—her first goal of the year. Cunha ripped a deep blast from 35 yards straight on, giving the Knights a 2-0 lead at 8:00. Esposito made it 2-1 just 26 seconds later when her shot from the left wing sailed off Robinson's leaping, outstretched hands.
However, NJCU answered 52 seconds later as Clarke made a perfect thru ball on the ground from the left wing onto the top of the box, and Cunha buried her second straight goal (9:18). Caseres made it 4-1 at 17:34. After a foul, Vargo lofted a free kick into the box from the deep left wing and Caseres headed home the shot.
Just 40 seconds later Cunha unleashed a breakaway opportunity with a thru ball from midfield onto the feet of Albuja who uncorked a shot off the right post and into the net for a 5-1 advantage. Caseres made it 6-1 at 34:01 of the first half. Alfano aired a cross from the right sideline, into the box. Caseres used her chest to direct the ball towards the net, before it caromed into the goal off a defender. NJCU led 6-1 at the break.
Caseres capped the scoring with two goals early in the second half in a span of 2:33. At 52:16, Cunha flicked a pass onto Caseres' chest, before she turned and ripped a shot into the right of the target. At 54:49, Spethmann crossed a ball from the right endline, and Caseres kneed a shot into the top right corner.
NJCU returns to action on Monday, September 13 in a 4 p.m. home non-conference game against Medgar Evers College. Old Westbury is back on the pitch on Saturday, September 18 in a Skyline Conference game against fellow tournament participant, Mount Saint Mary.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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GAME NOTES:
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- NJCU has won 12 of its last 14 home games since the 2008 season and has won five straight in Jersey City.
- JULIA CASERES opened the day with 146 career points but surpassed Amanda Kurdyla of William Paterson University, who had 149 points (66 goals 17 assists, 2005-08). Next up is Richard Stockton College's Aundrea Tilly with 158 points. Amy Gordon of Ramapo College is second with 160 points. Kean University star Noelle Meeke (1995-97) holds the league record with 164 points in three seasons. This is Caseres' third collegiate season as well.
- Caseres has now notched four goals in a game three different times in two seasons.
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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OW
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Score
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8
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1
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Halftime
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6
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1
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Shots
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24
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6
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Shots On Goal
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16
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4
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Saves
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3
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8
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Corner Kicks
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1
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1
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Fouls
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2
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4
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Offsides
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2
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2
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Caution Cards
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0
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0
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2010 NJCU Liberty Cup All-Tournament Team
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NAME
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SCHOOL
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YR
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POS
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HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
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New Jersey City University
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JR
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F
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Union City, NJ/Hoboken
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New Jersey City University
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JR
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M/D
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Aberdeen, NJ/Bayonne
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New Jersey City University
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JR
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F
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Union, NJ/Union
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New Jersey City University
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SO
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F/M
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Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens
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New Jersey City University
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SO
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F/M
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Edison, NJ/Edison
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Taj Anthony
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Mount Saint Mary College (NY)
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FR
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D
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Middletown, NY/Middletown
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Lindsey Oro
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Mount Saint Mary College (NY)
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SO
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D
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Holtsville, NY/Sachem East
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Kimberly Bruno
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Ramapo College
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SR
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F
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Middletown, NJ/Middletown South
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Melissa Demko
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Ramapo College
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SR
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F
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East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick
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Melanie Pupo
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Ramapo College
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SR
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M
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Newton, NJ/Morris Catholic
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Allison Pirone
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SUNY Old Westbury
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SO
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F
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Mount Sinai, NY/Mount Sinai
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Jarelis Torres
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SUNY Old Westbury
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SO
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M
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Ellenville, NY/Ellenville
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2010 STANDINGS
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PLACE
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TEAM
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RECORD (goals allowed)
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1st
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NJCU
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2-0 (1 GAA)
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2nd
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Ramapo
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2-0 (2 GAA)
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3rd
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Mount Saint Mary
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0-2 (6 GAA)
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4th
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SUNY Old Westbury
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0-2 (19 GAA)
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September 10, 2010
Ramapo 11, Old Westbury 2
NJCU 3, Mount Saint Mary 0
September 11, 2010
Ramapo 3, Mount Saint Mary 0
NJCU 8, Old Westbury 1
