New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Freshman forward JUAN ESPINOZA (New Brunswick, NJ/Buen Pastor (Lima, Peru)) blasted a shot from the left wing that slipped inside the right post with 2:43 remaining in the second half as New Jersey City University stunned nationally No. 6 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology, 1-0, in first round action of the 2005 NJCU/adidas® Liberty Cup at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

              

NJCU improves to 3-1 overall, with its third straight victory, and 10th win in 11 games dating to last season. It was the first win for the Gothic Knights over a nationally ranked team since a 2-1 victory over #4 ranked Kean University in overtime on October 31, 2001, during the semifinals of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament. Overall, it was NJCU’s fourth win over a Top 25 team since KEVIN EAST became head coach in 1998, and the third over a team in the Top 10.

 

Stevens falls to 0-1-1 with the loss. The Ducks lead the all-time series, 7-4-1, but NJCU has won three of the last four meetings since 2000.

 

In a defensive battle between Stevens, the top-ranked team in the Metro Region, and the Knights, themselves ranked 10^th in the region, it took 87:17 for one team for strike nylon. Senior forward CHRIS ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), playing in his first game of the season after finishing fourth in Division III with 25 goals in 2004, earned his first point of the season with an assist, as he opened up Espinoza on the left wing.

 

There, Espinoza, who recorded his first career hat trick on September 7 in an 8-1 win over John Jay College, rifled a sharp angled shot a few feet inside the endline and within the six, which slipped inside the right post, out of the reach of the Stevens keeper. It was the first goal Stevens had allowed in 197:17 to begin the season. It was Espinoza’s fourth goal of the year.

 

Rosenthal, who led all players with seven shots, now has 81 points in three seasons, five shy of matching the career record of 86 held by ADRIAN RUIZ (2001-04).

 

Stevens outshot NJCU 22-16 overall, with a three shot advantage in each half. However, sophomore goalkeeper BRUCE NEVES (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic), who is 3-0-0 overall and has allowed just two goals in 270:00 of action, made six saves for a second straight game to record the win. It was his second career shutout in eight starts.

 

Stevens junior keeper Chris Celentano (Newton, NJ/Newton) made one save for the Ducks.

 

NJCU, which won the inaugural Liberty Cup championship last year will look to repeat when it hosts Johnson and Wales University (RI), on Sunday at 12pm. Stevens will meet #18 ranked Drew University, 3-0 winners over JWU on Saturday, at 2:30 pm.