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RIVERDALE, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Trailing, 2-0 at halftime in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro Semifinals, New Jersey City University scored twice in a span of 3:11 within the first six minutes of the second half to draw even. But New York University rebounded with a goal in the 55^th minute and made the tally stand up with a strong defensive effort, as the Violets outlasted NJCU, 3-2, at Gaelic Park on the campus of Manhattan College.
 
Top-seeded NYU (13-6) advances to the ECAC Finals to face No. 2 seeded Richard Stockton College, 3-0 winners over #3 Mount Saint Mary College in the earlier semifinal. The season ends for the fourth-seeded Gothic Knights for the second time in three years in the semifinal round of the tournament. NJCU wraps up the year at 14-8 overall and is now 2-2-1 all-time in the post-season.  
 
Senior striker JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken)'s header at the 51:04 mark of the second half—her 25^th goal of the season and 91^st of her career—tied the game at 2-2 after sophomore center midfielder BRIANNA TAYLOR (Linden, NJ/Linden) gave NJCU its first goal just 2:53 into the second half with her fifth goal of the season.
 
NYU sophomore forward Erin Ahmed (Frisco, TX) countered when she pinpointed a perfect header into the left of the goal at the 54:39 mark as the Violets regained a 3-2 lead. Albuja hit the crossbar on a shot 73 seconds later (55:52), before the NYU defense limited the Knights to one more shot in the final 34 minutes.
 
It was the first meeting between the two schools since September 14, 2004 and the first ever post-season matchup. NYU has won both meetings. The Violets outshot the Knights, 18-11, including 12-4 in the second half. NJCU had a 7-6 margin in first half shots, despite trailing by two goals. NYU was whistled for 15 offsides.
 
In defeat, rookie goalkeeper BRITTANY HOFFMAN (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) made eight saves, including a pair of diving, 1-on-1 denials on breakaways. NYU freshman Meg Patten (San Diego, CA) had two saves.
 
Rookie defender DEVON WILLIAMS (Neptune City, NJ/Neptune) contributed her fourth assist of the season on NJCU's first marker before junior midfielder AMANDA SPETHMANN (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights—Wood-Ridge) notched her eighth assist of the season and 14^th of her career.
 
Junior midfielder Serra Tumay (Delray Beach, FL), who led NYU with a goal and an assist, put the hosts ahead just 80 seconds into the game when she netted an unlikely goal, bending a corner kick from the left endline that settled inside the far right post for her sixth goal of the season at the 1:20 mark.
 
Exactly 10 minutes later, NYU increased the lead to 2-0. Junior forward Erin Haggerty (Medfield, MA) made a long run down the left side before playing a pass back to sophomore forward Leslie Smith (Cleveland Heights, OH),  who was left unmarked in the top central part of the box. With space to work, Smith stuck a shot inside the right post, past a diving Hoffman.
 
NJCU switched to a 4-4-2 formation in the second half and it paid off quickly. After a foul by NYU, Williams played a free kick from the right side into the box where Taylor headed a shot into the left of the next to make it a one-goal deficit at 47:53.
 
NJCU continued to pressure and capitalized at the 51:04 mark when Spethmann made a long throw in into the box. The ball took one bounce on the turf field before Albuja stuck a header into the right side of the net to even the game. It was the 203^rd career point for Albuja, who finished her career as the most successful four-year player in the program's history, ranking 25^th in Division III history in total goals and tied for 31^st in points. Albuja reached the 25-goal plateau for the second time in her career and the first time since 2008.
 
But NYU regained the one-goal advantage at the 54:39 mark. Tumay played a short corner to sophomore midfielder Natalie Beach (New Haven, CT), crossing a pass from the left into the box. Ahmed was all alone in the middle of the box, and aimed a header towards the far left side of the net to reclaim the lead. It was her team-best eighth goal. Tumay had her eighth assist.
 
NJCU managed just one more shot—an attempt by senior striker JULIA CASERES (Union, NJ/Union) in the 73^rd minute that was blocked.  Albuja had five of NJCU's 11 shots and Caseres added three. Ahmed and Tumay had five and four shots, respectively, for the Violets.
 
The 'A-C Connection' of Albuja-Caseres finished their careers as the all-time leading scoring combination in Division III history with 191 goals and 445 points—12 points ahead of a pair of players for #1 ranked Messiah College, heading into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.