New Jersey City University Athletics

 

LA PLUME, PA…Freshman defender JESSICA IRIZARRY (Perth Amboy, NJ/Perth Amboy) tied the game in the 58^th minute and freshman midfielder ELIANA TINEO (South Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) put the Gothic Knights ahead to stay in the 82^nd minute—both off assists from junior midfielder KATIE FEEHAN (Manasquan, NJ/Wall), who later scored a goal of her own, as the New Jersey City University women’s soccer team won its first game of the season, defeating Keystone, 4-2, in a non-conference road contest.

 

NJCU (1-3) gave first-year head coach ROBERT BIELAN his first career win, as NJCU gains the all-time series lead with the Giants, 2-1. Keystone falls to 0-6 overall this season. Each team entered the match-up being shutout in their combined eight previous games this season. NJCU outshot the Giants, 24-11, including 13-3 in the second half.

 

NJCU opened a 1-0 lead with its first goal of the season as freshman forward MICHELLE VASQUEZ (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) finished a breakaway at 26:47 of an assist from senior midfielder REEM HANA (Iselin, NJ/John F. Kennedy), one of her two assists in the game.

 

Keystone tied it at 41:01 of the first half when sophomore forward Kelli Brago (Watsontown, PA/Warrior Run) knocked in a shot from 30 yards on the right side, off a feed from junior forward Megan Giannetto (Scranton, PA/Scranton).

 

The Giants took at 2-1 lead just moments into the second half as the previous scoring combination hooked up again. NJCU junior keeper ALEXIS CHISARI (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) made an aggressive play to break up a play but missed and Brago found Giannetto open for the lead at 47:24.

 

Trailing by one, the Knights made a second half surge to gain control of the game. Irizarry knotted the score at 2-2 at 57:21 when she headed in a corner kick from Feehan.

 

The score remained even until the 82^nd minute when NJCU scored twice in a stretch of 1:24 to put the game away. A shot from 21 yards out by Feehan was deflected by the keeper, but Tineo buried the rebound for the eventual game-winner at 81:04. Feehan raced untouched for a breakaway goal from midfield at 82:28 to seal the win for NJCU, off a feed from Hana.

 

Chisari made three saves to record the win for NJCU. Keystone’s Ashley Zuidema stopped nine saves for the Giants.

 

NJCU opens its 2006 New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule on Saturday, September 16 when it visits William Paterson University at 5 p.m. in Wayne, NJ.