BABA GUISSE TIES CAREER RECORD FOR SHUTOUTS WITH 18
JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior forward CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) scored his 15th and 16th goals of the season in the early portion of the first half, and senior forward ADRIAN RUIZ (Fairview, NJ/Dickinson) chipped in three assists, as New Jersey City University outshot Medgar Evers College, 50-7, and routed the Cougars, 10-0 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
NJCU senior goalkeeper BABA GUISSE (Jersey City, NJ/Lycee Eugene Delacroix, France) needed just two saves to register his seventh shutout of the season, and his second straight. The shutout was the 18th solo of his four-year career and he matches the school’s career record of 18 established by JEFF EAST, the younger brother of head coach Kevin East in a three-year career from 1998-2000.
NJCU improves to 10-5 overall and 5-1 at home with its second straight victory, and scores 10 goals in a game for the second time this season, the fifth time since 1999, and the 10th time in the 46-year history of the program. NJCU also owns a 9-1 lead in the all-time series against Medgar Evers (3-10).
NJCU has outscored the Cougars 47-7 all-time and have won seven encounters via shutout.
Also for NJCU freshman defender MIKE McCORMICK (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) contributed two assists, including a helper on the game-winner, while making his second start of the season.
Sophomore forward JUAN ZUNIGA (Passaic, NJ/Passaic) came off the bench to notch five points with two goals and one assist. He now has five goals and 11 points in just 144 minutes of field action this season.
Sophomore midfielder JUAN VERA (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) added a goal and an assist in a starting role, while the Gothic Knights received a goal and an assist from freshman forward LAURENS APUY (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) in 22 minutes of reserve time.
Junior midfielder OMAR ALI (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne), freshman forward JULIO GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial), junior defender CARLOS GRACA (Hillside, NJ/Hillside) and freshman midfielder ROBINSON CHAVERRA (Paterson, NJ/Passaic County Tech) all added single goals in the romp.
Senior defender OSMAR CHANQUIN (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) and junior midfielder JOHAN
GONZALEZ (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) registered assists in the win.
Junior defender CAMERON HARTSFIELD (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) did not play in this contest while resting an injury and that ended a streak of 56 consecutive games played and 50 straight starts to begin his career.
Rosenthal scored his second straight game-winner just 57 seconds into the first half on a flip over the top of the defense by McCormick, which set the striker up for a blast on the left wing. The game-winner was a bit slower than his school record set on Wednesday—a goal 23 seconds into a game.
He also scored the third goal of the game at 17:52 on a goalmouth tap-in off a cross from the right endline by McCormick. It was Rosenthal’s 16th goal of the year and leaves him two shy of tying the single-season mark for goals of 18 achieved last season by Pedro Prior. He has six regular season games remaining to break the record. He only played the game’s first 30 minutes.
Vera scored his second goal of the year at 4:55 to make it 2-0 off a pass from Ruiz. Ali made it 4-0 at 24:11 with his third goal, also assisted by Ruiz. NJCU led 4-0 at the half, while outshooting the Cougars 21-6.
In the second half, NJCU continued the onslaught with a 29-1 edge in shots. Garcia netted his fifth goal of the year at 55:27 off Ruiz’ third assist and his 66th career point.
Zuniga, who played 28 minutes off the bench, made it 6-0 at 64:31 off an assist from Chanquin. Graca, a preseason transfer, scored his first NJCU goal at 67:49, with assists credited to Gonzalez and Zuniga.
Chaverra tallied his first collegiate goal at 72:31 for an 8-0 advantage, with Apuy assisting. Zuniga made it 9-0 on an unassisted goal from 35 yards out at 78:07, before Apuy wrapped up the scoring with 34 seconds remaining, ripping a shot from Vera.
MEC keeper Geran Charles (Brooklyn, NJ/MLK) made 11 saves; the defense added two team saves.
NJCU is back in action on Wednesday, October 20 at 3pm when it hosts The College of New Jersey.
