New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

NEWARK, NJ…Senior forward CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) scored twice and broke the school’s 34-year-old career goal-scoring record, and freshman forward JUAN ESPINOZA (New Brunswick, NJ/Buen Pastor (Lima, Peru)) tallied two other scores as No. 23 ranked New Jersey City University, routed Rutgers University-Newark, 5-1, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game at Alumni Field.

 

NJCU is 8-3-0 and 3-2-0 in the NJAC. Newark (3-5-1, 0-5-0 NJAC) has lost five straight. NJCU has won eight consecutive meetings in a series it now leads 16-15-2. It is the first time since 1978 when the Gothic Knights led 3-2 that NJCU has control of the series which began in 1974.

 

Rosenthal, who became NJCU’s all-time points scoring leader on September 28, and extended that record to 92 on Saturday, eclipsed the record of 37 career goals he had shared with NJCU Hall-of-Famer Ken Holzschuh (1968-71). Rosenthal, who was fourth nationally with 25 goals in 2004, now has 39 goals and counting in only three seasons at NJCU.

 

After scoring only once in his first 10 games at NJCU Rosenthal now has 38 goals in his last 35 contests.

 

Espinoza extended his club scoring lead to nine goals and 19 points, with his league-high third-game winning goal, and freshman forward JAMEL CARSON (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) capped the five-goal blitz with his second of the season.

 

Rosenthal broke the record at 26:25 of the first half with a penalty kick, for his fourth goal of the year, as NJCU led 1-0 at the half.

 

JUAN ESPINOZA" src="/images/msoccer/2005/10/2/09-11-05%20Juan%20Espinoza%202.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Espinoza scored back-to-back goals just 2:50 apart in the second half to break open what had been a defensive struggle. He scored his eighth goal of the season on a cross from junior forward JUAN ZUNIGA (Passaic, NJ/Passaic), with a 10-yard shot from the left wing at 50:19. Then, he stole a ball in transition in front of the Scarlet Raider goal, faked out the keeper, and slipped an unassisted score into the left side of the net at 53:09.

 

Rosenthal added his second goal at 77:40 with a header on a cross from sophomore midfielder JOHN JENSEN (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township) to give NJCU a 4-1 lead.

 

At 87:13, Carson chipped a shot over the Rutgers-Newark keeper from the left wing on a long pass from freshman defender MICKAEL PEREIRA (Harrison, NJ/Harrison), who had entered the game just 42 seconds prior to contributing his first career point.

 

Sophomore goalkeeper BRUCE NEVES (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) made four of his five saves in the second half, while freshman Matthew Johnson (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) finished with six saves.

Neves lost a bid for his fifth shutout when RN sophomore defender David Gehman (Towaco, NJ/Montville) put back the rebound of a save on a shot from the right side by Raider sophomore midfielder Kazim Mirza (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) at 60:31.

 

NJCU outshot the Raiders, 17-11. Each team had five corners, and a combined 42 fouls were whistled overall. NJCU was called for 12 offsides.

 

NJCU is back in action on Monday, October 3 at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference road game against the College of Staten Island. The Knights downed the Dolphins in 2004, 8-1.