JERSEY CITY, NJ…Sophomore midfielder Marc Cino (Belford, NJ/Middletown North) gave The College of New Jersey a 1-0 lead just 3:35 into the game, and freshman forward Craig Langan (Kings Park, NJ/Kings Park) knocked in the game-winner off a rebound 10 minutes later as the Lions overcame a 24-13 deficit in shots and upended New Jersey City University, 5-1, in a non-conference game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
TCNJ, which had won just once in its last 10 games entering the match-up, evened its record at .500 overall (7-7-2). The Lions scored on 38.5 percent of its shots. NJCU falls to 10-6, and has its two-game winning streak snapped. The two teams had gone 1-1-1 in the last three meetings. The five goals are the most TCNJ has scored against NJCU since tallying seven in 1997.
Sophomore defender Tim Dudek (Medford, NJ/Bishop Eustace), freshman midfielder Joseph McGinley (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) and junior forward Ryan McMann (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) each netted goals for the Lions.
NJCU rookie midfielder PATRICK THOMAS (Roselle, NJ/Linden), who had not played since October 2 with foot injury drilled his sixth goal of the year on a penalty kick at 77:31 after simultaneous yellow cards were assessed to TCNJ on fouls in the box. There were six yellows called in the game, with five charged to the visitors.
Cino, who later added an assist for a three-point day, tracked down a rebounded save of a shot by junior midfielder Matt Connor (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic) and rifled it in from four yards out to give TCNJ a 1-0 advantage. It was Cino’s second goal of the year.
At 13:39, the Lions scored again on very similar circumstances, as Langan knocked in a rebounded save off a direct kick by freshman midfielder Kolja Mueller (Frankfurt, Germany/Helmhoktz School). It was Langan’s third goal of the year.
TCNJ held a 3-0 advantage at the half as Dudek headed in a header from Cino at 39:04. It was Dudek’s second goal of the season. The Lions outshot NJCU in the opening period, 8-4.
In the second half, the Gothic Knights offense had many opportunities, but TCNJ stopped eight of the nine shots on goal in a period where NJCU outshot the visitors, 20-5.
After a foul in the box was called on NJCU, McGinley gave the Lions a 4-0 cushion, as he cashed in on a penalty kick at 70:29 for his first career goal.
Just 21 seconds after Thomas added his own penalty kick for the Knights, McMann again gave TCNJ a four-goal margin when he blasted in a shot from the left wing off a pass from sophomore midfielder Michael Ferber (New City, NJ/Clarkstown North).
NJCU had several opportunities to get back into the game, but three times were very unlucky. Freshman goalkeeper Michael Cladek (Rahway, NJ/St. Joseph’s), who played 77:31 in net, made one of his six saves at 55:18 when he thwarted a penalty kick by NJCU junior striker CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), this week’s ECAC Metro Player of the Week.
The Lions also has two team saves that prevented NJCU scoring. Junior forward Matt Woolston (Shrewsbury, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) cleared a Rosenthal shot off the line at 47:08, and junior defender Jeff Lageman (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) knocked out a shot by freshman midfielder JOHN JENSEN (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township) at 71:37. Senior keeper Rich Adams (Neptune, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) made one terrific save in 12:29 of action to stop a one-timer.
NJCU senior goalkeeper BABA GUISSE (Jersey City, NJ/Lycee Eugene Delacroix, France) set aside four shots in defeat.
NJCU is back in action on Saturday, October 23 at noon when the Knights visit No. 11 ranked United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. TCNJ visits William Paterson University the same afternoon.
