New Jersey City University Athletics

 

NEWBURGH, NY…New Jersey City University, ranked No. 16 in Division III, received a balanced scoring attack, while outshooting Mount Saint Mary College (NY), 26-11, as the Gothic Knights defeated MSMC for the 11^th consecutive meeting, in a 3-1 non-conference victory late Wednesday at Kaplan Field.

 

NJCU improved to 14-2-1 overall, while winning for the 14^th time in its last 16 games. MSMC falls to 7-7-1 overall, while having its two-game winning streak snapped. NJCU leads the all-time series, 15-2, with 11 consecutive victories between the schools. NJCU has outscored the Blue Knights in the 17 encounters, 66-17. NJCU was whistled for 10 offsides in the game.

 

Sophomore midfielder CRISTHIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) recorded a goal and an assist to bring his season totals to seven goals, 11 assists and 25 points. He becomes the 17^th player in NJCU history to record at least 25 points in a season and moves into a tie for third on the single-season assists list.

 

NJCU also received single goals from sophomore midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) and junior forward JULIO GARCIA (West New York, NY/Memorial).

 

Bilbao, who had been battling injuries for several weeks, scored his fifth goal of the season and his first since September 27, when he chipped a shot over sliding MSMC freshman keeper Paul Aries (Nashua, NH/Suffield Academy) at 35:47. The assist from freshman forward FRANK ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) was his fourth of the year. NJCU led 1-0 at the break, courtesy of a 16-6 edge in shots.

 

Garcia scored what proved to be his second game-winning goal of the season and third tally overall minutes into the second half when he knocked a shot over the keeper at 51:39 inside the far post off a feed from Acuna.

 

Acuna put NJCU up 3-0 with his seventh goal of the season as he buried his fourth penalty kick in as many tries at 71:11. NJCU is now 6-for-6 on penalty kick opportunities this season.

Sophomore midfielder Andy Espinoza (Mount Kisco, NY/Fox Lane) thwarted NJCU’s shutout bid at 76:14 when he netted the first penalty kick awarded to an NJCU opponent this season. It was his first goal of the year.

 

NJCU rookie keeper JONATHAN BRUN (Iselin, NJ/JFK Memorial) made seven saves to improve his record to 3-0-0 this season. Aries stopped eight shots for the Blue Knights.

 

NJCU returns to action on Saturday, October 21 at 12 p.m. when it visits The College of New Jersey—the 2005 conference champions—in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game in Ewing, NJ.