New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…New Jersey City University scored 29 seconds into the game and never looked back, outshooting Maritime College, 29-5, en route to a 6-1 non-conference victory over the Privateers on Wednesday at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field. The Gothic Knights reached double figures in victories for the eighth consecutive season and the ninth time in the last 10 years.

 

With the win, NJCU improves to 10-3 overall and now owns a 45-7-1 home record over the last five seasons. Maritime, winners of four of five games coming in, falls to 6-4. It was the first meeting between the schools in men’s soccer.

 

All 21 NJCU players who dressed for the game saw at least 18 minutes of action. NJCU, the No. 7 ranked scoring offense in the nation, has scored six goals in each of its last two games.

 

Freshman midfielder NABIL WAHBI (Saddle Brook, NJ/Dickinson) equaled the fourth fastest goal to start a game in school history when he put the Knights ahead 1-0 just 29 seconds into the game. It was the second time this season NJCU had opened a game with a goal in under 30 seconds.

 

NABIL WAHBI" src="/images/msoccer/2007/10/3/09-16-07%20Nabil%20Wahbi%2011.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Six different NJCU players contributed goals. In addition to Wahbi, offensive production came from senior forward MARCELO CARPIO (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), freshman stopper RICHARDSON THOMAS (Roselle, NJ/Linden), sophomore defender SHAWN McCORMICK (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick), freshman midfielder EDUARDO TEJADA (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington), and freshman forward CHRISTIAN MARIN (West Paterson, NJ/Passaic Valley).

 

NJCU received two assists from junior midfielder JONATHAN BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep). Marin, senior defender/forward GREGORY EPSTEIN (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township), sophomore midfielder JOSE QUIROS (Somerset, NJ/Bound Brook) and sophomore midfielder JESSE VANEGAS (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) each chipped in assists.

 

Wahbi put the Knights ahead when after consecutive passes he received a feed from Marin on the left wing into the box and drilled home a one-timer. It was Wahbi’s third goal of the season—all coming in the last two games, and Marin collected his first career assist.

 

After 31 minutes had passed without a goal, Carpio put the Knights ahead 2-0. Bilbao fed a pass into RICHARDSON THOMAS" src="/images/msoccer/2007/10/3/09-05-07%20Richardson%20Thomas%202.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>the box, which Carpio banged off the inside right post with a one-timer at 31:33 for his ninth goal of the season. It proved to be his second game-winner of the year, and moved him into a tie for ninth in school history with 22 goals.

 

At 35:04, Bilbao set up his second assist of the game and team-best ninth of the season when he lofted a perfectly-placed free kick onto the right post from the deep right wing. There, Thomas registered his first career goal as the NJCU defender was positioned for a header inside the right post.

 

At 41:00, Epstein recorded the first point of his career, as the defender sent a cross from the left side that the opposing keeper could not gather, and McCormick tapped in a shot from six yards out for his third goal of the season. NJCU led 4-0 at the half, thanks to a 15-1 edge in shots.

 

Tejada scored his third goal of the year at 56:57, when he took a pass from Quiros and from 35 yards out, pinpointed a shot inside the right post. The assist was Quiros’ second in as many games. NJCU concluded the scoring at 87:17 when Vanegas, who tallied his first career assist, crossed a ball from the left wing which Marin redirected inside the right post with a one-timer, for his fourth goal of the campaign.

 

Maritime scored its only goal 49 seconds later when freshman midfielder Patrick Masango (Baltimore, MD/Phs Kumba) was left unmarked from 25 yards out and uncorked a shot that found a home in the upper right corner of the net. It was his team-best 10^th goal of the year.

 

Freshman keeper ANDRE VIOLA (Clifton, NJ/St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale)) recorded the win without making a save. Freshman Harris Papson (Flushing, NY/Francis Lewis) played the first half for the Privateers, making four saves against four goals. Senior Matt Kavanaugh (Penfield, NY/Penfield) stopped six second half shots, allowing two goals.

 

NJCU is back in action on Monday, October 8 at 3:30 pm when it visits City College of New York. Maritime visits SUNY-Purchase on October 6 at 1 p.m.