New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Highly touted freshman forward JUAN ESPINOZA (New Brunswick, NJ/Buen Pastor (Lima, Peru)) scored three second half goals for his first career hat trick in his second career game, and sophomore forward JULIO GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) added two other scores as New Jersey City University outshot John Jay College, 35-11, and routed the Bloodhounds, 8-1, in NJCU’s 2005 home opener at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

              

Meanwhile, senior midfielder JOHAN GONZALEZ (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), who entered the season tied for the NJCU all-time record in career assists, added two assists on the game’s first two goals to move into sole possession of first place in school history with 26. He had shared the mark with 2004 graduate ADRIAN RUIZ (Fairview, NJ/Dickinson), the program’s all-time points leader.

              

With the victory, NJCU improves to 2-1 overall, with its second straight victory, and ninth win in 10 JUAN ESPINOZA" src="/images/msoccer/2005/9/1/2005-Juan%20Espinoza.jpg" width=150 align=right border=0>games dating to last season. The Gothic Knights lead the all-time series with John Jay (0-4), which began in 1983, by a 9-0 margin, and have outscored the Bloodhounds 40-1 in the nine contests.

              

NJCU led 4-0 at half time, behind a 21-2 difference in shots, and opened up a 7-0 lead with 14:29 remaining in the second half.

              

Espinoza, who played only 23 minutes in NJCU’s first two games with a leg injury, needed only 20 minutes of reserve time Wednesday to make a dent among NJCU’s statistical leaders, moving into second place with six points—with the first three goals of his career.

              

Also scoring for NJCU in the victory were freshman midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Newark, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep), freshman forward JAMEL CARSON (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial), and freshman midfielder TYLER CHIARA (Jamesburg, NJ/Monroe Township), all netting their first career goals.

              

Carson, who scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, added two assists to finish with a four-point afternoon.

              

Sophomore midfielder JOHN JENSEN (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township), sophomore midfielder SCOTT MODZELEWSKI (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township), and sophomore forward MARCELO CARPIO (Clifton, NJ/Clifton)—this week’s New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week—all added single assists.

Junior midfielder Slawomir Balon (Brooklyn, NJ/Fort Hamilton) scored for JCC at 76:51 off a pass from freshman midfielder Jonathan Cedeno (Bronx, NY/Long Island City) to end a 308:26 scoreless drought for JJC.

              

Sophomore goalkeeper BRUCE NEVES (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) made six saves for NJCU to improve to 2-0 in net. Junior keeper Michael Podbielski (Bellrose, NY/Art and Design) made five stops.

              

Bilbao gave NJCU a 1-0 edge at 9:38 when he blasted in a rebound of a Gonzalez shot. Carson netted the eventual game-winner at 28:16 off a Gonzalez cross from the left to the right wing, and JULIO GARCIA" src="/images/msoccer/2005/9/1/2005-Julio%20Garcia.jpg" width=150 align=right border=0>assisted on NJCU’s third goal at 36:00 when he lifted a chip into the box, leaving Garcia and a teammate a 2-on-1 against the JJC keeper. Garcia increased the lead to 4-0 at 43:33 when he rocketed a shot from the right wing that deflected off the JJC keeper and in.

              

The lead opened to 5-0 at 59:00, when Jensen flipped a pass into the box, which Carson chipped to the left post. There, the pass was buried inside the left post by Chiara.

              

Espinoza notched his first career goal at 65:10, when Modzelewski flipped a pass over the Bloodhound defense, giving the striker a 1-on-1 breakaway against the JJC keeper. Espinoza used several nifty moves to fool the keeper for a 6-0 advantage. He added his second goal of the game at 75:31, when he made a steal on the far left wing and rifled an unassisted shot into the right corner.

              

After Balon scored for JJC, Espinoza capped the scoring at 78:39, when he pounced on a thru ball from Carpio, and in a similar play as his first goal, fooled the keeper during a 1-on-1 breakaway.

              

NJCU returns to action on Saturday, September 10 at 12pm when it hosts the second annual NJCU/adidas® Liberty Cup at the Robert L. McNulty Field. NJCU, the defending Cup champion, will face nationally #6 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology in the opening game, followed by #18 ranked Drew University and Johnson and Wales University at 2:30 pm.