FREDONIA, NY…Houghton College, an NAIA-affiliated scholarship school from Houghton, NY, received two goals from freshman midfielder Ernie Walton (Zionsville, PA/ Emmaus) and two assists from his older brother, junior midfielder Andrew Walton (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus), and the Highlanders defense shutdown the powerful Gothic Knight offense, in defeating #19-ranked New Jersey City University, 3-0, in first round action at the SUNY-Fredonia/Blue Devil Days Inn Classic.
The loss was the first of the season for NJCU (3-1-0), who will face Capital University (OH) (0-4-1) in the consolation game on Saturday at 12pm. Host Fredonia State (3-1-0) came back from a 1-0 deficit to upend Capital, 2-1 in Friday’s second game. Houghton (1-3-0), which dropped its first three contests to scholarship-awarding institutions, earns its first win. This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools in men’s soccer. NJCU has also never faced the other two teams in the tournament.
NJCU, which surrendered just one goal in its opening two contests, has allowed three or more goals in back-to-back games for the first time since September 1-2, 2000.
Walton opened the scoring with his first career goal at 32:45 of the first half, when he gained possession of his brother’s chip into the box, and banked it in with a high shot off the cross-bar.
Houghton led 1-0 at the half, and continued to lead by that same score more than 20 minutes into the second period. However, at 66:18, Walton padded the Highlanders lead with his second goal, scored when he received a cross in the box from sophomore defender Ben Loos (Angola, NY/St. Francis), and volleyed it into the net.
Sophomore midfielder Patrick King (Albion, NY/Albion) capped the scoring at 72:55 when he slid a shot inside the left post off a cross from the left endline by Andrew Walton. Houghton had an additional chance to score at 61:30 of the second half, but drew left post.
Houghton outshot NJCU, 27-20, including 17-13 in the second half. In defeat, junior CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had his streak of eight consecutive games with a goal snapped. He left at 64:11 of the second half with a leg injury after being taken down with a foul during a breakaway opportunity.
NJCU’s best scoring chance came towards the end of the game as senior forward JOSE DeBERNARD (Lawrenceville, NJ/Princeton) made a great move to fool the goalkeeper and draw him out of net, only to see a Houghton defender make a sprawling team save.
NJCU senior goalkeeper BABA GUISSE (Jersey City, NJ/Lycee Eugene Delacroix, France) played very well in defeat, making seven quality saves. The Knights also made a team save. Senior keeper Steve Cox (Markham, Ontario, Canada/Stouffville District) made seven saves in his team’s victory.
