NEWBURGH, NY…Freshman midfielder ADRIELE DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Newark-East Side) lifted a pass over a charging goalkeeper, and found sophomore defender LUCY LONGOBUCCO (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) with a game-tying goal at 13:00 of the first half, as New Jersey City University and Mount St. Mary College played to a 1-1 tie in women’s soccer.
NJCU is 0-1-1 on the season, while MSMC is 0-2-1. The tie was an important one for the rebuilding NJCU women’s program, which entered the game 1-6 all-time against the Blue Knights, including an 8-0 loss in the last meeting in 2002.
Longobucco’s goal was her first collegiate point, and it knotted the game at 1-1, after junior midfielder Ashley Miller (Shelton, NY/Shelton) gave MSMC a 1-0 edge with an unassisted goal off a loose ball in the box just 3:16 into the game.
NJCU freshman goalkeeper CASSANDRA ZIENIUK (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) made five saves to preserve the tie. NJCU held a 26-25 advantage in shots. However, nearly half of the Gothic Knight shots were on goal, an area NJCU led in 14-6. MSMC sophomore keeper Julia Ashworth (Highland, NY/Highland) made 13 saves.
The game was the first of four games in five days for the Gothic Knights. NJCU returns to action on Sunday at 1pm with a road contest against new Division III opponent, Briarcliffe College, in Bethpage, NY. It will be the first-ever meeting between the schools. NJCU will also visit New York University on Tuesday at 7pm, before playing its home opener on Wednesday, September 15 at 3:30 pm against Centenary College in a Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match-up.
