JERSEY CITY, NJ…For the second straight game to open the 2004 season, New Jersey City University’s men’s soccer team demonstrated its offensive firepower, as the Gothic Knights built a 5-0 lead and routed the College of Staten Island, 8-1, in the opening round of the inaugural NJCU/adidas® Liberty Cup at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
NJCU improved to 2-0-0 on the season, outshooting CSI, 37-6. The Gothic Knights are averaging six goals per game on the season. The contest was the season opener for Staten Island (0-1-0). Overall, 26 NJCU players saw at least 16 minutes of action, as most of its starters were pulled midway through the first half.
NJCU received two goals a piece from senior forward JOSE DeBERNARD (Lawrenceville, NJ/Princeton) and freshman midfielder PATRICK THOMAS (Roselle, NJ/Linden). DeBernard finished with five points.
Junior CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) registered a goal for a seventh consecutive game dating back to the 2003 season.
NJCU opened the scoring at 3:19 of the first when sophomore defender RONNIE SANCHEZ (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) crushed a ball from the NJCU backfield which took a funny hop and ricocheted past starting CSI keeper Valon Osmani (Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro/Susan E. Wagner). The unassisted goal was the first of his career.
At 5:52, DeBernard, who scored 17 goals in 2002, notched his first of the year on a diving header off a cross from Rosenthal, which proved to be the game-winner. Rosenthal made is 3-0 with his second goal of the season at 9:35 when a feed from sophomore midfielder CHRIS PALUMBO (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) created a breakaway. Palumbo finished with two assists on the day, the first of his career.
DeBernard made it 4-0 at 12:13 with his second goal, a beautiful header inside the right post off a centering pass from senior defender OSMAR CHANQUIN (Princeton, NJ/Princeton).
Thomas scored his first goal at 25:35 when he headed a cross from Palumbo inside the right post for a 5-0 edge.
A defensive mental lapse in the backfield at 26:49 ended NJCU’s scoreless string of 123:57 dating to last season, as Staten Island ended the shutout bid on a goal by senior defender Kharsen Morant (West Palm Beach, FL/Palm Beach Lakes, FL), off a pass from freshman defender Leonardo Arganaraz (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Curtis).
Just over a minute later, Thomas gave NJCU a 6-1 halftime advantage. After an initial shot by DeBernard, who got the assist, rebounded off the keeper, Thomas headed in his team-leading third goal of the season at 28:06.
The NJCU reserves got into the scoring act in the second half as freshman forward JULIO GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) scored his second goal of the year on a one-timer at 51:33 off a centering feed from the right by freshman forward ALLAN FLORES (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson). Sophomore forward JUAN ZUNIGA (Passaic, NJ/Passaic) tallied NJCU’s final goal at 76:43, when a thru-ball from sophomore defender MILTON SUAH (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central), created a one-on-one opportunity.
NJCU’s aggressive offense set a single-game school record with 23 offsides calls. NJCU senior keeper BABA GUISSE (Jersey City, NJ/Lycee Eugene Delacroix, France) stopped three shots to record the win, while Osmani pushed aside 11 saves for the Dolphins.
On Sunday in the second round of the tournament, NJCU will host Eastern Connecticut State University at 2pm, while FDU-Florham, 1-0 winners over ECSU, challenges Staten Island in the 12pm game.
