BOX SCORE
EWING, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University rallied from a 3-1 deficit as junior forward WALTER AVANS (Roselle Park, NJ/Union Catholic) tied the game with 35 seconds remaining in regulation after sophomore forward NANA KOFI KUSI (Jersey City, NJ/Kumasi Academy (Ghana)) netted his second goal of the game in the 83rd minute, but The College of New Jersey claimed first-place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference when it netted the game-winner 2:06 into the extra session as TCNJ outlasted NJCU, 4-3, in an NJAC game on Saturday afternoon at the TCNJ Soccer Complex.
TCNJ moves into first place in the conference with 19 points, improving to 8-5-3 overall and 6-1-1 in the NJAC. The Gothic Knights are eliminated from post-season contention with the loss, dropping to 7-10-0 overall and 1-7-0 NJAC. The Lions lead the all-time series, 46-6-3. NJCU has scored exactly three goals against TCNJ in each of the last four meetings.
NJCU was outshot, 33-9, including 23-6 in the second half, but the Knights scored on three of their five shots on goal. NJCU, playing in its first overtime game of the season in its final road contest of the year, is now 23-24-63 in 110 overtime games in the 52-year history of the program.
Kofi Kusi tied the game at 1-1 in the 50th minute with his eighth goal of the season and trimmed a 3-1 deficit with his ninth marker in the 83rd minute. Avans, who finished with a goal and an assist, contributed to the second goal and then flicked a fast-break pass from junior midfielder TAREK YAKOUBI (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) over the opposing keeper for his 10th goal of the season at 89:25 to force overtime.
TCNJ junior forward Chris Pisano (Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen) scored the game-winning goal—his third of the season—and added one assist. The Lions received a pair of goals—his seventh and eighth of the year—from junior forward Ray Nelan (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) and senior defender Mike Razzoli (Parlin, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) tallied his first goal of the season.
TCNJ, now 6-0-2 in its last eight matches, received single assists from junior midfielder Ed Kozic (Raritan, NJ/Immaculata)—who set up the game winner— sophomore defender Vince McEnroe (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) and freshman midfielder Sean Casey (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South).
Rookie keeper ZAKARY AZMI (New Milford, NJ/Emerson) matched his NJCU career high with nine saves. SophomoreAdam Friedman (Chester, NJ/West Morris Mendham) had two saves for the Lions.
The first half remained scoreless until Pisano slid a pass to Nelan and he buried a shot in the right-hand corner to give the Lions a 1-0 lead at the 37:19 mark.
NJCU wasted no time tying it after the intermission. Junior forward ALEX CERON (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) put the ball on the foot of Kofi Kusi who fired a shot that was stopped on a terrific save by Friedman. But Kofi Kusi picked up the rebound and poked a shot into the back of the net to knot the game at 1-1.
Pressure by the Lions helped the hosts regain the lead at 62:22 when Casey fed Razzoli who put TCNJ back on top, 2-1. With less than 19 minutes remaining McEnroe sent a long pass to Nelan down the right side and he converted to push the lead to 3-1 at 71:11. McEnroe increased his team-high assist total to five.
Needing two goals late to tie it, NJCU did not quit, trimming the deficit to one at 82:36 when Kofi Kusi took a pass from Avans and slipped a shot into the left corner. The assist was Avans' second of the year.
That set up the late-game heroics by Avans. Yakoubi, who picked up his second assist of the year, sent a pass over the TCNJ defense to send Avans on a last-ditch rush to the net and the Gothic Knight striker flicked a fast-break shot over Friedman to tie the game at 89:25 of regulation—his team-best 10th goal of the season and 27th of his three-year career.
But TCNJ rebounded quickly as Kozic fed Pisano from just outside the box and Pisano knocked home the winner at 92:06 to win it for the hosts.
NJCU wraps up the season when it hosts Rutgers University-Camden in an NJAC game on Wednesday, October 27 at 4 p.m. at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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TCNJ
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Score
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3
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4
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Halftime
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0
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1
|
|
Shots
|
9
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33
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Shots On Goal
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5
|
13
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Saves
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9
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2
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Corner Kicks
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0
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6
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Fouls
|
15
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5
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Offsides
|
5
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1
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Caution Cards
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3
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1
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