JERSEY CITY, NJ…Sophomore forward Avery Green-Spector (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) scored on a header off a deflected chip just 1:15 into the second half, and his goal stood up as Vassar College overcame a shot deficit of more than 2-to-1, to surprise New Jersey City University, by a 2-1 margin, at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field. It was the first-ever meeting between the clubs in men’s soccer.
Vassar wins its second straight contest to improve to 5-3, while the Gothic Knights fall to 7-4, losing two in a row for the first time this season. The loss was NJCU’s first at home this year (4-1), and it ended a six-game home winning streak dating to last season. NJCU, which had 14 scoring attempts in each half, outshot Vassar, 28-12.
The Brewers capitalized on a defensive lapse at 46:15 of the second half, as two Vassar players got open on the close right wing. Junior defender Francesco Galetto (Washington, DC/Walter Johnson) banged a hard chip from several yards out off of diving NJCU senior goalkeeper BABA GUISSE (Jersey City, NJ/Lycee Eugene Delacroix, France), but Green-Spector was in position to knock the deflection in with a header to break a 1-1 halftime tie. The goal was the second of the year for Green-Spector, with Galetto picking up his fourth assist.
Junior forward CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) notched his 10th goal of the season to open the scoring at 16:09 of the first half. The unassisted goal was a beauty, as the junior striker made several nifty moves to penetrate the Brewer defense on the right wing, then drilled a spectacular, angled shot over the Vassar keeper and under the crossbar.
Rosenthal accounted for 13 of NJCU’s 28 shots. It was the third highest individual shot total in a game in the 46-year history of the program.
Vassar tied the game less than five minutes later on a bizarre own-goal. Vassar senior forward Aldis Butler III (Larkspur, CA/SF University) rifled a cross into the top of the box, which NJCU junior stopper CAMERON HARTSFIELD (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) tried to clear with a header. However, the momentum of the pass carried the ball into the right side of the net at 21:05 for a 1-1 tie. By NCAA rule, Butler was credited with a shot and his team-leading eighth goal of the year.
Vassar, which returns to action on Friday, October 8 with a 4pm home game with Hamilton College, received a solid 12-save effort by senior goalkeeper Matt Parker (Highland, NY/Highland). He made eight of his 12 stops in the second half.
Guisse made five saves, including a sliding deflection at the top of the box at 56:17 to keep NJCU alive.
NJCU returns to action on Wednesday, October 6 at 6pm with a night game at Rutgers University-Newark.
