New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Kean University broke open a one-goal game at halftime with six tallies in a span of 15:42 in the second half to surge to a 7-0 lead and behind a hat trick from freshman forward Danielle Esposito (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) defeated New Jersey City University, 7-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's soccer game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

Kean improves to 5-2-0 overall and 1-1 in the NJAC while posting its third shutout of the season. NJCU, which opened the year at 6-0-0, drops its second straight, falling to 6-2-0 and 0-2-0 NJAC. Kean leads the all-time series, 15-0. The Cougars outshot NJCU 35-6, primarily in the second half with a 23-2 advantage.

Esposito scored all three of her goals in the second half, tallying the third, fourth and sixth scores, giving her five netters on the season. Kean also received single goals from senior midfielder Nicole Tahan (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), junior midfielder Kayla Duncan (Edison, NJ/Edison), sophomore forward Randi Vizoco (Erial, NJ/Timber Creek), and senior forward Amanda Pitts (Rahway, NJ/Union Catholic).

Duncan finished with three points, also adding an assist. Junior midfielder Jenna Godwin (Kingwood, NJ/Delaware Valley Regional) and sophomore forward Samantha Ciccone (Point Pleasant Beach, NJ/South Brunswick) each added an assist.

Sophomore keeper Leandra Russo (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) made one save in 60:51 of action before junior Nicole Groszew (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) had one save over the final 29:09.

NJCU sophomore keeper KELLY REILLY (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Memorial) stopped a season-high 16 shots, allowing four goals in 83:30 of action. Junior keeper DANIELLE BARKER (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) saw 6:30 of action in the middle of the second period, making two saves against three goals.

The only goal of the first half was Tahan's second of the year and her first game-winner at 26:06 off a long cross into the box from midfield. Tahan beat Reilly to the ball in a footrace before tapping in the shot; Godwin was credited with the assist. Kean had a 12-4 advantage in shots in the first half.

Duncan made it 2-0 at 51:23 when her free kick from 22 yards took a hop that Reilly couldn't handle, deflecting in for her second goal of the year. Duncan provided a thru ball at 53:10 for Esposito's first goal on a breakaway. Then, 2:03 later, Esposito swiped the ball from an NJCU defender on the near sideline and drove to the goal on a breakaway, making it 4-0 at 55:13.

Esposito and Vizoco combined for a pair of unassisted goals in 32 seconds at 55:13 and 55:45, respectively, making it 5-0. The goal by Vizoco was her first of the year. Esposito concluded her hat trick at 59:40 when she stole a misplayed header from the NJCU defense, setting up another breakaway on the left side. Pitts capped the Kean offense with her third goal of the year at 67:05, knocking in a shot off the crossbar by Ciccone.

NJCU will seek to return to the win column on Saturday, September 27 at 7 p.m. when it visits Rutgers-Newark in an NJAC night game at Newark's Alumni Field. Kean hosts Rutgers University-Camden at the same time.