BETHPAGE, NY…Gina Shore notched two goals early in the second half to break open a scoreless game, and Jessica Graziano added a goal and two assists as Briarcliffe College shutout New Jersey City University, 4-0, in a women’s soccer game Sunday afternoon. Briarcliffe improved to 3-0-1 with the victory, while the Gothic Knights fell to 0-2-1. It was the first-ever meeting between the schools in women’s soccer.
Briarcliffe outshot NJCU 21-5 overall, including 9-1 in the first half, but couldn’t get on the board, as all five shots on goal were turned away. All four goals came in the second half, including three in a 12:03 span, as the hosts outshot NJCU 12-4 in the second period.
Shore netted an unassisted goal at 49:57, which proved to be the game-winner, and added an insurance goal just over two minutes later when she tracked down an initial shot by Graziano, and knocked in the rebound at 52:00 for a 2-0 edge.
Melissa Forte added a goal with a header off a corner kick by Graziano at 62:00 for a 3-0 advantage, before Graziano capped the scoring at 86:00 with an unassisted netter.
All five of NJCU’s shots were on goal, and Briarcliffe goalkeeper Marissa Fernandez made five saves in recording the shutout. NJCU freshman goalkeeper CASSANDRA ZIENIUK (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) stopped seven shots in defeat, including the first in the first half.
NJCU visits 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.
