New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior forward CRISTHIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) scored his eighth goal of the season and added an assist to move into second place in school history in helpers as New Jersey City University outshot Ramapo College 26-9, and handed the Roadrunners their first loss of the season, 2-1, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men’s soccer contest at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

 

NJCU improves to 6-2-0 overall and 2-0-0 in the NJAC, by winning its third consecutive game and for the sixth time in seven games since dropping its season opener. RCNJ falls to 5-1-1 and 0-1-1 in the NJAC. The Gothic Knights are now 42-7-1 at home over the last five seasons. NJCU also evened the all-time series at 15-15-4 (with one missing result from 1973).

 

NJCU scored both of its goals in a span of 3:11 late in the first half and held on for the 2-1 win after RCNJ scored its only goal in the 84^th minute.

 

Junior midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) put NJCU in front, 1-0, at 38:31 when Acuna fed him a thru ball on the left wing, and from near the left endline was able to hit a sharp-angled blast across the goal for his fifth goal of the season.

 

The 27^th career assist for Acuna broke a tie for second on NJCU’s career list that he shared with former All-American Chris Rosenthal. He needs four more assists to match Johan Gonzalez’ club standard of 31. Bilbao moved into ninth place in school history with his 52^nd point.

 

Acuna extended NJCU’s lead to 2-0 at 41:42 when he received a feed from sophomore midfielder JOHN BERNAL (Paterson, NJ/Inem (Medellin, Colombia)) from the right wing inside the box and rifled a shot that deflected off a Ramapo defender and past the keeper. The goal was Acuna’s 20^th of his three-year career and his 67^th point—still fifth in school history. The goal (8) and assist (6) extended his conference leading points total to 22. It was his first game-winning goal this year.

 

NJCU maintained a 2-0 halftime advantage, outshooting Ramapo 15-6 in the period, and had plenty of chances to increase that margin in the second half, owning an 11-3 edge in shots.

 

Ramapo cut into the lead at 83:56 when freshman forward Giuseppe Trani (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) notched his team-leading sixth goal of the season as he finished a one-timer set up when sophomore forward Jay Castaldo (Jacobstown, NJ/Northern Burlington) fed a cross from the left wing that left his teammate wide open in the box against NJCU’s keeper. The assist was Castaldo’s first of the season.

 

But NJCU’s attack held onto possession for most of the final 6:04, and Acuna nearly scored in the final minute, before the Knights prevailed, 2-1. There were a combined 41 fouls and five yellows issued in the physical game.

 

Freshman keeper ANDRE VIOLA (Clifton, NJ/St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale)) made two saves for the NJCU win. Ramapo sophomore Ian Tighe (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) stopped five shots in defeat. Each club also had one team save.

 

NJCU is back in action on Saturday, September 22 at 7 p.m. when it visits Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ for an NJAC game. Ramapo next plays at Rutgers-Newark at 7 p.m. on September 22.