JERSEY CITY, NJ…In a match-up of the top two offensive player s in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, Rowan University freshman
Michelle Carrocino (Mickleton, NJ/Kings Regional) scored three times to give her 22 goals, and
New Jersey City University freshman striker
JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) notched two more goals to give her 24 goals and 51 points, but Rowan defeated NJCU, 6-2, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women’s soccer game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field. Rowan led 2-1 at the half, but broke the game open with four goals midway through the second period.
Rowan (13-2-0, 6-1-0 NJAC), ranked tied for 10th in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, remains the hottest team in the NJAC, having won five consecutive games and for the 12th time in 13 games since September 1. The loss by NJCU drops the Knights to 7-9-0 overall and 0-7-0 in the league. Rowan leads the all-time series, 10-0, but for the first time in those 10 games, NJCU was not shutout. The game was a make-up from a September 22 weather postponement.
Albuja, who finished with her eighth multiple-goal game of the year, scored both of NJCU’s unassisted goals to extend her single season school marks for goals and points. She became only the sixth player in the history of the NJAC to tally 50 points in a season and the second player in NJCU men’s or women’s soccer history
(Chris Rosenthal, 25 goals, 59 points, 2004). Her 24 goals are tied for fifth most in NJAC single-season history. It is the first time since 2004 that any player in the league has had at least 24 goals and 50 points.
Albuja has scored a goal for NJCU in five consecutive games and the 12
th time in 16 games overall.
Carrocino, who extended her Rowan single-season marks to 22 goals and 49 points, added an assist with her fourth hat trick of the season for a seven-point outing. She joined Albuja on the 20 goal list in the game. It is the first time in the history of the NJAC that two players have had 20 goals in the same season and only the ninth and 10th times any player in league history has had 20 goals in women’s soccer.
Rowan, which outshot NJCU, 30-6, including 19-2 in the first half, received single goals from freshman forward Dana Ross (Delran, NJ/Delran), junior defender Alicia Kavlunas (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) and freshman midfielder Holly Bundy (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East).
Ross and sophomore midfielder Krista Verzi (Delran, NJ/Delran) each had two assists for Rowan. Carrocino, senior midfielder Kerry Little (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Boro) and sophomore forward Devon Marx (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) had single assists.
At 17:36, Carrocino gave Rowan a 1-0 lead with her 20th goal of the year. The high shot under the crossbar from the left wing was set up by a Verzi thru ball from midfield.
Carrocino made it 2-0 at 29:02 with her 21st goal. Ross' sent a cross from the right endline to the right post. All Carrocino had to do was stick out her right foot to flip the point-blank shot inside the post.
Albuja cut the margin to 2-1 at 42:37. After gaining control of a pass from midfield by graduate student midfielder
KATIE FEEHAN (Manasquan, NJ/Wall),
Albuja dribbled through the entire Rowan defense at the top of the box, made a nifty move into the right side of the box, and drilled a one-timer for her 23
rd goal.
Rowan got what proved to be the game-winner at 64:21. Little sent an aerial cross from the left endline into the center of the goalmouth, and Ross knocked in a one-timer for a 3-1 lead. Her sixth goal of the year proved to be her third game-winner.
Just 2:19 later, Carrocino struck again. Ross and Verzi connected for consecutive passes that resulted in a thru ball into the box, where Carrocino delivered a one-timer into the right side. The assist was Ross’ fifth point of the game and fifth assist of the year.
At 73:19, Carrocino lofted a corner kick from the right endline that Kavlunas headed in for her third goal of the season. Rowan capped its scoring and took a 6-1 lead at 86:55. Marx tallied her team-best seventh assist of the year when her bouncing corner from the right endline was headed in by Bundy. The goal on the skipping ball was her second of the year.
Albuja scored a sensational goal to account for the final score with 47.8 seconds left. After she was dragged down at the top center of the box, she fired a free kick that curved in flight over the Rowan wall and was buried into the upper left corner, just under the crossbar, at 89:12. It was her eighth unassisted goal of the year.
NJCU freshman keeper
KELLY REILLY (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Memorial) made 10 saves for as Rowan had a 16-5 advantage in shots on goal. It was her fifth game this year with at least 10 saves. Rowan sophomore
Sarah Volkomer (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) made three saves.
NJCU returns to action on Saturday, October 20 at 11 a.m. when it visits nationally No. 3 ranked The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. Rowan hosts Kean University that day at 1 p.m. in Glassboro, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
Team Stat Comparison |
|
|
NJCU |
Rowan |
|
Score |
2 |
6 |
|
Shots |
6 |
30 |
|
Shots On Goal |
5 |
16 |
|
Saves |
10 |
3 |
|
Corner Kicks |
1 |
10 |
|
Fouls |
12 |
9 |
|
Offsides |
1 |
3 |
|
Caution Cards |
1 |
1 |
|
NJAC WOMEN’S SOCCER SINGLE-SEASON GOAL & POINT SCORING RECORDS |
|
School |
Player |
Year |
Goals |
Points |
|
Kean University |
Noelle Meeke |
1995 |
31 |
73 |
|
Kean University |
Noelle Meeke |
1996 |
26 |
60 |
|
Montclair State University |
Maggie Findlay |
2000 |
25 |
57 |
|
Richard Stockton College |
Kari Devine |
2004 |
25 |
54 |
|
Kean University |
Madelyn Palko |
1986 |
24 |
52 |
|
New Jersey City University |
JENNIFER ALBUJA |
2007 |
24 |
51 |
|
The College of New Jersey |
Traci Trapp |
1998 |
22 |
44 |
|
Rowan University |
Michelle Carrocino |
2007 |
22 |
49 |
|
Kean University |
Madelyn Palko |
1984 |
20 |
42 |
|
The College of New Jersey |
Dana DiBruno |
2005 |
20 |
48 |
|
Ramapo College |
Amy Gordon |
2001 |
18 |
43 |
|
Ramapo College |
Amy Gordon |
2000 |
17 |
49 |
|
Rutgers University-Camden |
Heather Grenwald |
2004 |
16 |
44 |
|
William Paterson University |
Meg Renna |
2000 |
16 |
40 |
|
William Paterson University |
Amanda Kurdyla |
2005 |
16 |
38 |
|
Rutgers-Newark |
Erin Finn |
2000 |
15 |
38 |
