New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

NEW PALTZ, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The box score may have leaned heavily in the direction of #22 ranked SUNY Cortland, but New Jersey City University sophomore All-Conference goalkeeper BRITTANY HOFFMAN (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) played the game of her life to balance it out. Cortland, ranked No. 22 in the 2012 NCAA Division III preseason poll by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) off the strength of a run to the Elite 8 of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, outshot the Gothic Knights, 38-9, and held a 15-1 edge in corner kicks. But Hoffman made a career-high 18 saves, highlighted by a stop of a game-saving penalty kick in the 104^th minute of the second overtime period as NJCU and the Red Dragons played to a 2-2 tie in the season opener for both schools on Friday in the opening round of the Michelle Vargas-Robin Memorial Tournament, hosted by SUNY New Paltz.
 
NJCU (0-0-1), the defending champions of the tournament, opened the 20^th season of collegiate soccer with a historical achievement—the tie was the first in school history in a match against a nationally ranked opponent; the Knights have never defeated a ranked team. The Red Dragons (0-0-1) and NJCU were meeting for the first time.
 
Hoffman, who made double digits in saves five times in 2011 as a freshman when she won a school-record 14 games, had 13 at the end of regulation when Cortland outshot NJCU, 28-8, and set aside another five in the extra session while facing 10 more shots. Her previous high was 14 saves against then #14/20 ranked The College of New Jersey on October 22, 2011.
 
“A lot of people counted us out of any kind of contention this year because of the senior class we graduated,” noted seventh-year head coach Robert Bielan, the 2011 New Jersey Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. “Yes, it's a building year, but since I've been here we have always had women ready to step in to fill the shoes of those players we lost. We're going to have to earn every win but our women and coaching staff are up for the challenge.”
 
The game may not have made it to overtime had it not been for sophomore defender DEVON WILLIAMS (Neptune City, NJ/Neptune) who buried a game-tying penalty kick with 21 seconds remaining in the second half to even the game at 2-2, sticking the second goal of her career into the bottom right side of the net.
 
The game-tying sequence was set up when rookie midfielder KAITLYN LIMA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) put a pass onto the foot of sophomore forward AMANDA FILIPPONE (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley), who dribbled to goal before being fouled in the box by two Red Dragon defenders, forcing a penalty kick to be issued.
 
After a scoreless first half in which Cortland outshot NJCU, 14-0, all the scoring came in a 30-minute window in the second period.
 
The Red Dragons struck first at the 60:10 mark as sophomore midfielder Caitlin Guerra (Highland Falls, NY) found the net off a pass from senior defender Kelly Wanser (East Northport, NY).
 
NJCU would even the game at exactly 79:00. Senior center midfielder BRIANNA TAYLOR (Linden, NJ/Linden), who scored five goals in 2011 in her first year with the team, gained possession of a deflected ball at the top of the box before the Red Dragon defense could clear it, and from 16 yards away, turned and cranked a shot into the upper left corner for an unassisted marker, making it 1-1.
 
The game wouldn't remain tied for long. A defensive mix-up in the box just 3:58 later left sophomore forward Rachel Parker (Marathon, NY) unmarked, and she converted a pass from sophomore forward Amanda Margolis (Oceanside, NY) for a 2-1 advantage, leading up to Williams' game-tying penalty kick in the final seconds of regulation. NJCU had eight of its nine shots in the second half.
 
In the first overtime, Cortland had a 3-1 shots edge, but Hoffman stopped all three attempts, sending the game to a second 10-minute overtime period.
 
Cortland held a 7-0 differential in shots in the second overtime and could have won the game off a corner kick late in the 104^th minute. Senior midfielder AMANDA SPETHMANN (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights-Wood Ridge) leaped to try to head a shot out of the goalmouth but instead had the ball knocked down with her hand before it could find the upper right corner. A red card was issued due to the hand ball, and Cortland was awarded a potential game-winning penalty kick. Spethmann's foul ended up being a key play for the Gothic Knights.
 
Guerra stepped to the line to try to win the game for Cortland at the 103:45 mark. But Hoffman dove towards the bottom left side and knocked the ball away to preserve a 2-2 game.
 
Lima dropped back to aid NJCU's defense in the final six minutes with NJCU playing a woman down, 11-vs.-10. Cortland had four more shots but only one on target which Hoffman stopped late in the 107^th minute, before the game ended at 2-2. Sophomore Taylor Hudson (Victor, NY) made four saves for the Dragons.
 
“I knew they would come together,” said Bielan of his 2012 squad, after NJCU graduated its most accomplished senior class in school history, including forwards JENNIFER ALBUJA and JULIA CASERES, who combined to score an NCAA-record 191 goals between them in four seasons. “They've been practicing on the field for two weeks during our preseason training and they all play with that Hudson County toughness. They all came together and were committed to giving 100 percent and they all did. If we can be better conditioned and healthy we can have an amazing season.”
 
NJCU will seek to defend its tournament championship when it faces host New Paltz on Saturday, September 1 at 2:30 p.m. The host Hawks received votes in the NSCAA Division III preseason poll after reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2011—the same year NJCU knocked off New Paltz, 1-0 in overtime, in the championship game of the Michelle Vargas-Robin Memorial Tournament.