Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University set a school record for the most shots it has ever attempted against The College of New Jersey and held the defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champions to one first half tally, but the #8/18 ranked Lions proved why they are a perennial national power and 13-time conference champions, snapping the Gothic Knights 10-game home winning streak with a 4-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference victory on Saturday at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
The Lions, ranked #8 nationally in the D3soccer.com media poll and 18th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) coaches' poll, improve to 13-2-1 and 7-1-0 in the NJAC. The Gothic Knights have their three-game winning streak snapped, falling to 12-6-0 overall and 3-5-0 in the league. TCNJ outshot NJCU, 31-13, including 18-4 in the second half, and had a 6-0 edge in corner kicks.
TCNJ, winners of 13 of the 16 conference championships in league history, leads the all-time series, 16-0 and had allowed only 11 shots by NJCU in the previous 15 meetings. The Knights had nine in the first half alone and eclipsed the total for all previous meetings, combined, with the 13 attempts.
NJCU, which entered the game 8-0 at home this season, suffered its first loss on its home pitch since a 1-0 setback to a #10 ranked Rowan University squad on October 19, 2009
TCNJ sophomore forward Brenna Rubino (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) collected goals in the 21st and 53rd minute—her ninth and 10th of the season—to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Sophomore forward Jessica Davila (Middletown, NJ/Middletown) added her ninth goal of the season off the bench in the 80th minute and later assisted on an 84th minute tally by sophomore midfielder Toni DeMaio (Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany Hills). Sophomore forward Allyson Anderson (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant) picked up her fourth assist of the season on the game's second goal.
Rookie goalkeeper Kendra Griffith (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West), who has only allowed four goals in 16 games this season, made two saves for her ninth shutout of the season.
Junior goalkeeper LAURA ROBINSON (Edison, NJ/Edison) made 14 saves in defeat under pressure and junior converted sweeper JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) made a first-half team save.
NJCU sophomore forward ASHLEY CUNHA (Edison, NJ/Edison) and junior midfielder JULIA CASERES (Union, NJ/Union) each had four shots to lead the Knights.
At 7:48 of the first half, TCNJ's Anderson struck a ball towards the left post after Robinson dove but was unable to break-up a chance in the box. But Albuja made a sliding team save, booting the ball over the endline to keep the Lions off the board.
However, Rubino, who had a game-high six shots—all on goal—would give the visitors the only goal it would need at 20:11 of the opening half, as she fired a straight-on shot, just over the outstretched arms and off the finger tips of a leaping Robinson, who was trying to knock the ball away before it could creep under the crossbar. The unassisted goal was her third game-winner of the season.
Caseres had a dangerous chance sail just left of the goal at 29:19. Robinson made a diving stop of a TCNJ shot in the 41st minute to send the game to the half, with NJCU down 1-0.
But TCNJ added a second goal at 52:22 as Anderson dribbled on the left wing and crossed the ball into the box. Rubino headed a shot over Robinson, who was off her line, and into the top left corner.
At 79:51, Davila's shot from just outside the box was blocked by Albuja. But Davila gathered her own rebound and tucked the rebound inside the right of the target for a 3-0 margin at 79:52. Davila had consecutive shots blocked, including a save by Robinson, before DeMaio knocked in the goal line rebound for her fifth goal of the season and a 4-0 cushion at 83:28.
Despite the loss, NJCU can still qualify for its first-ever NJAC Tournament if it defeats Rutgers University-Camden in a road league game on Wednesday, October 27 at 6 p.m. in Camden—and Rutgers-Newark and Montclair State University do not win each of their final two conference games. TCNJ, which now has 21 points, will host #10 Rowan on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Ewing, NJ with a first-round NJAC tournament bye and potentially the league's regular-season title, at stake.
—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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0
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4
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Halftime
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0
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1
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Shots
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13
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31
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Shots On Goal
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2
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19
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Saves
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15
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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
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21
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8
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Offsides
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1
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6
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Caution Cards
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2
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0
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