New Jersey City University Athletics

 

WAYNE, NJ…Freshman midfielder EDUARDO TEJADA (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) made the most of his first career start, tallying what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 23^rd minute, and junior midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) contributed two second half assists as New Jersey City University opened the New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule with a 3-0 shutout of William Paterson University, at Pioneer Soccer Park.

 

NJCU improves to 4-2 overall and notches its third shutout of the season, while WPU (5-2) has its five-game winning streak snapped by the Gothic Knights. Each team had 12 shots, but NJCU had a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal.

 

While NJCU has owned the series in recent years, now with a 6-1-1 record between the schools since 1999, the shutout marks the first time on record in school history that the Gothic Knights have blanked the Pioneers in Wayne. Overall, it was the first NJCU shutout of the Pioneers since October 8, 2001 in Jersey City. The schools had played in every year except 2004 since first meeting in 1959.

 

Freshman keeper ANDRE VIOLA (Clifton, NJ/St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale)) opened his NJAC career with three saves for his third shutout of the year.

 

 

It remained a tight game midway through the second half, until NJCU put the contest away with two goals in a span of 1:46.

 

Fontan buried his second goal of the season at 69:45 when he took a pass across the goal from Bilbao, and knocked in a low shot.

 

Acuna then put the game out of reach at 71:31 when he received a similar pass from Bilbao across the goalmouth, and knocked in his fourth goal of the season. The goal gave Acuna 11 points on the season and moved him into sixth place in school history with 56 points (16 goals, 24 assists).

 

Bilbao, who assisted on the final two goals, now has five assists and 13 points this year. With 19 assists in three seasons, he has moved into a tie for sixth place in school history; the record is 31.

 

Senior keeper David Casper (Franklin, NJ/Timothy Christian) made four saves for the Pioneers.

 

NJCU is back in action tomorrow, Sunday, September 16 when it hosts St. Joseph’s College (NY) in a 1 p.m. non-conference home game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.