JERSEY CITY, NJ…Sophomore forward Amanda Chiusano (Bellport, NY/Bellport) notched a hat-trick to account for all the scoring in the game, as Farmingdale State University overcame a 16-11 deficit in shots, and defeated New Jersey City University, 3-0, in a Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
FSU improves to 4-11-1 overall and 1-2-1 in the WIAC. The Gothic Knights fall to 4-12-1 and 1-2 in WIAC competition. The Rams have won the last two meetings, and knotted the all-time series at 2-2-1 with this victory.
Chiusano, who now has six goals on the season, and has tallied 35 percent of FSU’s scoring, netted the eventual game-winner at 5:15 of the first half, when she settled a pass into the box by junior defender Victoria Blank (Levittown, NY/Division Ave.) from the right wing, and beat NJCU goalkeeper CASSANDRA ZIENIUK (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) in a one-on-one chance from close range. The assist was Blank’s first of the year.
Chiusano made it 2-0 at 58:17 when a pass from sophomore midfielder Kristina Famularo (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) created another one-on-one in the box. Chiusano turned and beat Zieniuk on the left side of the goal. Famularo’s assist was her second this year.
Chiusano wrapped up the scoring at 70:56 when she dribbled past several NJCU defenders on the right wing, and scored a third one-on-one goal, finishing with an angled shot to the left side of the target.
NJCU had two outstanding scoring chances late in the game. However, a shot by freshman forward KATIE DALY (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) hit the right post on a great cross by freshman forward KATIE FEEHAN (Manasquan, NJ/Wall) at 87:38. Feehan also appeared to have scored at 88:39, before FSU junior keeper Pam Baione (Farmingdale, NY/Plainedge) somehow kept the ball out of the net. Feehan had nine of NJCU’s 16 shots, including six on goal.
Baione posted nine saves to register her third shutout of the year. Zieniuk could do little to stop the three one-on-one opportunities by Chiusano, but did stop three other shots. FSU outshot the Knights in the first half, before NJCU pressed for a 12-6 advantage in the second period, finishing with a 16-11 edge.
NJCU is back in action on Friday, October 29 at 3pm when it hosts St. Joseph’s College-Patchogue in the final WIAC game of the season.
