New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

NEWARK, NJ…Apparently, evening Tropical Storm Hanna wasn't enough to slow down New Jersey City University sophomore striker JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken). The Gothic Knight star tied the single-game school record with six goals, collected 14 points and equaled the program's career mark of 33 goals in only her 21^st game as NJCU stormed past Medgar Evers College, 10-1, on day two of the Scarlet Raiders Women's Soccer Classic, hosted by Rutgers-Newark at Alumni Field. The game was played at times in a torrential downpour from the remnants of the storm.

For the first time in the history of the program, NJCU has opened a season with a 3-0 record, having outscored the opposition 15-4 to start the year. The Knights defeated College of Staten Island yesterday, 1-0, and finished the tournament with a 2-0 mark and a +10 goal differential. However, host Rutgers-Newark won the event championship with a 2-0 record based on a +15 goal differential in wins over Medgar (10-0) and Staten Island (5-0).

The loss for Medgar drops its record to 0-2. NJCU leads the all-time series, 5-0, outscoring the Cougars 28-4. It is the fifth time in program history that NJCU has scored 10 or more goals in a game.

Albuja, who finished the tournament with six goals and three assists, headlines three NJCU players selected to the All-Tournament Team. Freshman forward NICOLE SARICA (Linden, NJ/Linden), who scored the opening goal for NJCU in both games and chipped in an assist, and sophomore keeper KELLY REILLY (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Memorial) who made nine saves in a shutout against CSI, were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

It was a historic day for Albuja, who now has 33 goals and five assists in just 21 career games. She equaled current assistant coach KATIE FEEHAN's program record of 33 goals set from 2004-07 and Feehan's career mark of six game-winning goals.

Albuja also equaled the single-game record of six goals by Carine Carvalheiro against City College of New York on October 13, 2003, and with 14 points was one shy of the single-game mark of 15, also achieved by Carvalheiro in that contest. The six goals in one game ties for sixth most in a game in NCAA Division III history while the 14 points ties for eighth on the NCAA single-game charts. Her six goals were also a Raiders' Classic record.

Now with nine goals in three games this year, Albuja has reached 71 career points, 10 multiple-goal games and five career hat tricks. She uncorked 15 of NJCU's 39 shots and was one shy of her own single-game record of 16 set last year.

Albuja scored the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth and 10^th goals for NJCU. Sarica tallied her third goal of the season four minutes into the game and Albuja added a marker two minutes later for the early lead.

Meanwhile sophomore midfielder ARIANE EMABAT (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson), sophomore forward JUANITA SARRIA (Englewood, NJ/Dwight Morrow) and freshman forward ABIE MUSA (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) each tallied their first goals of the year. Emabat scored the third goal to help the Knights head to halftime leading 4-1. 

Sarria and Musa scored the seventh and eighth goals of the game in a span of just over two minutes late in the game, knocking in corner kicks off the foot of Albuja, who assisted on both plays.

Sarica, Emabat and Musa each tallied three points, finishing with one goal and one assist. For Sarica, it was her third assist of the young season, coming on Albuja's final marker.

Freshman midfielder NICOLE SWEENEY (Chenango Forks, NY/Chenango Forks) also chalked up her first career point, assisting on Emabat's tally.

Reilly earned the win while making two saves, before junior DANIELLE BARKER (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) played the final 10 minutes in net where she wasn't challenged.

MEC's lone goal came in the 39^th minute from freshman forward Shakera Ho-Sang (Brooklyn, NY/Prospect Heights) on a breakaway after a defensive miscue. Cougar keeper Jasmine Rodriguez (Brooklyn, NY/West Brooklyn Community) made 10 saves as NJCU owned a 39-5 advantage in shots.

With the win, head coach ROBERT BIELAN picked up his 13^th career victory early in his third season as head coach, tying Mike Lyons, who coached in 1993 and 1994, for most wins by a head coach in program history.

NJCU will open its 2008 home schedule on Tuesday, September 9 at 4 p.m. when it meets Penn State University-Berks at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.