New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

EWING, NJ…Senior forward CRISTHIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) became the second men's or women's player in New Jersey City University history to record 100 career points, as he assisted on the go-ahead goal and added an important insurance tally as the #24 ranked Gothic Knights scored three unanswered goals en route to a critical New Jersey Athletic Conference victory over The College of New Jersey, 3-1, at the TCNJ Soccer Complex.

With the win, NJCU (7-2-2, 3-0-1 NJAC), ranked third in the NCAA Division III Metro Region and 24^th nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, remains unbeaten in its last nine games. Since its last loss on August 30, NJCU is 7-0-2 overall. The Knights won despite being outshot 18-11. The Lions drop their third straight game and fall to 6-6-1 overall and 2-3 in the league. 

TCNJ leads the all-time series, which dates to 1959, by a 44-6-3 margin; four of NJCU's wins in the series have come on the road in Ewing.

With a goal and assist, Acuna, the 2007 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year, now has 101 career points, surpassing the century mark with 34 goals and 33 assists in his career. Only former All-American Chris Rosenthal (2003-05) has more points, with 128.

Converted junior defender SHAWN McCORMICK (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) continued playing well in a back-up role as a goalkeeper, making nine consecutive saves to close the game. He is 2-0-2 in net for the Knights, and has allowed only two goals in four appearances.

Sophomore midfielder

6.JPG" />goal for the Knights off a cross from freshman forward ALEX CERON (Belleville, NJ/Belleville), before Ceron capped his impressive effort by slipping in the go-ahead goal and eventual winner. 

The Lions jumped on the board just 1:01 into the game as senior forward Chris Nelan (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights) swiped possession from an NJCU defender, and on a breakaway pushed the ball to the left of McCormick, for his fourth goal of the year. 

The one goal lead lasted for nearly 18 minutes, until Ceron lifted a cross from the right to Tejada, who connected for his first goal of the season at exactly 19:00, drilling a one-timer into the upper right corner. It was the second consecutive year he has scored against the Lions.

TCNJ outshot NJCU in the first half, 14-7, but seven saves by McCormick helped preserve a 1-1 game at the break.

The two teams continued to play a deadlocked game until the 73:50 mark when Acuna was awarded a penalty kick after a handball in the box. He tried to rip a shot inside the right side of the net but it rebounded off the post, and went right to Ceron, who collected the ricochet, depositing his third goal of the year just one second after Acuna's shot. Acuna did receive the assist as his rebound set up the go-ahead goal.

Acuna made up for his earlier miss when he slammed home an insurance goal at 84:14 for his conference-leading ninth goal of the season, after he eluded two defenders and put back his own rebound. NJCU outshot the Lions in the second half, 5-3.

NJCU is off for a week before hosting City College of New York on Saturday, October 11 at 3 p.m. in a non-conference game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.