JERSEY CITY, NJ…Seven different Centenary College players scored a goal, and four notched a goal and an assist as the Cyclones shutout New Jersey City University, 7-0, in a Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women’s soccer game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
NJCU, which was playing its 2004 home opener and its fourth game in five days, dropped to 0-4-1 overall (0-1 WIAC) with the loss, the third in a row for the Gothic Knights. Centenary is 2-1 (1-0 WIAC).
The Cyclones now own an 8-2 edge in the all-time series, having won the last eight meetings.
Centenary, which outshot NJCU 55-3, including 30-1 in the first half, opened the scoring at 9:07 when junior midfielder Jess Sikora (Ogdensburg, NJ/Wallkill Valley) put in a rebound of a shot that was tipped off the cross-bar, for a 1-0 lead. Freshman midfielder Tanya DiDonna (Highlands, NJ/Middletown South), who took the initial shot, received the assist.
At 24:00, freshman midfielder Claire Johnson (Morris Plains, NJ/Morristown) made it 2-0 with an unassisted goal achieved by zigzagging through the defense with great ball movements. Johnson assisted on the third goal at 31:01, as she sent a cross into the box from the right endline that senior forward Michele Barone (Vernon, NJ/Vernon) finished with a one-timer. Just over two minutes later (33:29), DiDonna made it 4-0 when she received a thru-ball from Barone which created a one-on-one chance.
Centenary added three goals in the second half to account for the 7-0 final. Freshman midfielder Jess Defino (New Milford, NJ/New Milford) scored inside the right post off a rebound of a shot by freshman midfielder Coleen Gaffney (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade) at 54:49. Senior defender Dana Tobia (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) also scored off a rebound at 58:44, a goal set-up by an initial shot from Sikora, who was credited with the assist. Junior defender Nicole Smith (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) capped the scoring at 69:41 when she took possession of a loose ball in the box off a corner kick and tallied an unassisted goal.
In defeat, freshman goalkeeper CASSANDRA ZIENIUK (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) registered a career-high 20 saves. NJCU also made one team save. Junior keeper Krystal McCullen (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) played the first 45 minutes in net, and made one stop.
The Gothic Knights return to action on Saturday, September 18 at 2:30 pm, when NJCU hosts St. Joseph’s College-Patchogue in a WIAC match as part of a men’s/women’s doubleheader in Jersey City.
