New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…New Jersey City University moved into sole possession of second place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and extended its unbeaten streak to a school-record 10 consecutive games, as the 11^th ranked Gothic Knights snapped a 1-1 tie with a second half surge that resulted in a 4-1 win over William Paterson University, in a conference game played at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

 

NJCU, ranked No. 11 nationally by D3Kicks.com and tied for 17^th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, improves to 10-1-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the NJAC while WPU falls to 5-6-1 and 1-4-0. NJCU extends its unbeaten streak to 10 straight, last losing on September 3 when nationally ranked Stevens Institute of Technology rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to prevail 3-2. Since then, the Knights have not been defeated, and have eclipsed the 2003 club’s record unbeaten streak of nine.

 

NJCU also extends its home field winning streak to 12 straight. The Knights have won 22 of their last 23 home contests and own a 34-4-1 ledger in Jersey City over the last four seasons.

 

The game was truly a tale of two halves offensively. While NJCU outshot the Pioneers, 22-12 overall, WPU had an 8-7 advantage at the half. During the second period, NJCU dominated, outshooting the Pioneers, 15-4.

 

Junior midfielder JOHN JENSEN (Monroe Township, NJ/Monroe Township), who entered the game with four goals in his career, bagged two in the second half to put the game away. Freshman forward FRANK ROSENTHAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had a goal and an assist, and sophomore midfielder GONZALO DAPIA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) added the game-winner.

 

Sophomore midfielder PATRICK THOMAS (Roselle, NJ/Linden), sophomore midfielder CRISTHIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison), and senior midfielder CHRIS PALUMBO (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) all contributed assists for NJCU.

 

The only WPU goal came off the head of sophomore forward Mark Brzyzek (Wallington, NJ/Wallington), assisted by junior midfielder David Chase (Morristown, NJ/Morristown).

 

NJCU struck first, taking a 1-0 lead at 28:48, as Rosenthal blasted a shot from the right side of the box into the upper half of the goal, off a thru ball from the right by Thomas. It was Rosenthal’s third goal of the season and Thomas’ fourth assist.

 

Just 23 seconds before the half, the Pioneers tied it, as Brzyzek headed a Chase cross from the right corner into the net, from six yards out on the right side of the box at 44:37. It was Brzyzek’s first goal of the year.

 

GONZALO DAPIA" src="/images/msoccer/2006/10/4/09-13-06%20Gonzalo%20Dapia%206.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>But Dapia broke the deadlock with his fourth goal of the season at 59:57. Acuna—who notched his team-leading seventh assist of the season and moved into seventh place in school history in the category on the play—used a burst of speed to beat a Pioneer defender on the right sideline, and followed with a cross to the left wing. There, Dapia fired his second game-winner of the season, powering in a one-timer.

 

Jensen added two important insurance goals in the final 10 minutes to seal the game. At 80:57, Rosenthal swiped possession of the ball on the right wing, and launched a thru ball to the left wing. Jensen sprinted to the pass, and used a running blast to finish his second goal of the season, for a 3-1 lead. It was Rosenthal’s second assist.

 

Jensen capped the scoring at 86.56. Off a Palumbo corner kick from the right side, Jensen smoked a shot inside the left post for his third goal of the year and his first multi-goal game of his career. The assist was Palumbo’s first of the season and ninth of his career.

 

Junior goalkeeper BRUCE NEVES (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) made four saves to move into 10^th place in school history in stops, while winning his 27^th career game. Pioneer junior keeper David Casper (Franklin, NJ/Timothy Christian) made seven saves in defeat. Defensively for NJCU, the game marked the 10^th time in 12 games that the Knights have limited its opponent to five or fewer shots on goal.

 

NJCU will return to action on Saturday, October 7 at 2 p.m. when it visits St. Joseph’s College (NY) in Patchogue, NY. WPU plays at home the same night with a 5 p.m. Homecoming game against Eastern University.