New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

MONTCLAIR, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior striker JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) headed home her 19^th goal of the season in the 17^th minute before Montclair State University scored the final three goals of the game and won an important new Jersey Athletic Conference women's soccer contest, 3-1, on Saturday at MSU Soccer Park.
 
Montclair improved to 9-4-1 with the win and 5-2-0 in the NJAC, increasing its second place points total to 15—six points ahead of NJCU in the league standings. The Knights are now 12-4-0 and 3-2-0 in the NJAC. The Red Hawks lead the all-time series, 16-2.
 
Albuja scored her conference-leading 19^th goal—and increased her career points total to 188 points and 85 goals in her 75^th career game.  Junior midfielder AMANDA SPETHMANN (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights—Wood-Ridge) and senior striker JULIA CASERES (Union, NJ/Union) assisted on the goal; Spethmann earned her sixth assist and Caseres her 10^th of the year. Albuja and Caseres combined for six of NJCU's eight shots in the game.
 
With the assist, Caseres netted her 41^st career assist and 233^rd career point—17^th in Division III history. Albuja and Caseres now have combined for 421 career points, and moved into third place in Division III history for most points by two teammates; the record is within reach at 432 although #1 ranked Messiah College has a combo that is one point behind the A-C Connection with 420 points.
 
For Montclair, freshman forward Kaila Fasano (Westwood, NJ/Westwood), sophomore forward Amanda Pero (Old Bridge, NJ Old Bridge) and freshman forward Francesca Gibson (Cape May, NJ Lower Cape May Regional) each scored goals as Montclair won for the fifth time in its last six outings.
 
In defeat, freshman goalkeeper BRITTANY HOFFMAN (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) matched her career high with 11 saves as the Red Hawks outshot NJCU 20-8 and put 14 shots on net. MSU held an 11-3 edge in shots in the first half. Freshman goalkeeper freshman Gina Policastro (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) made two saves for the hosts.
 
NJCU gained a 1-0 lead at the 16:35 mark. Spethmann uncorked a long throw in onto the head of Caseres, who flicked a header to Albuja on the back post, who headed in the set piece goal for a 1-0 Gothic Knight advantage.
 
Hoffman had seven saves in the first half but Montclair was able to tie it at 37:21 as sophomore midfielder Jessica Kiniery (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) fired a shot that Hoffman knocked down. But the ball bounced right out to Fasano, who banged in the rebound for her fourth of the year, knotting the game at 1-1.
 
That's the way the game remained through halftime and into the second half when Montclair took the lead for good. Pero notched her second goal of the season 3:58 into the period (48:58) as she beat Hoffman with a low shot off an assist from sophomore midfielder Jenna Carroll (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick).
 
Gibson gave the Red Hawks an insurance marker at 66:38, looping a shot from 27 yards on the left side that beat Hoffman for her 10^th of the year. Freshman defender Danielle Deserio (Somerville, NJ/Somerville) picked up the assist.
 
NJCU will host Rowan University on Monday, October 18 in a make-up NJAC contest at 3:30 p.m. at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.