New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

NEW PALTZ, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior forward ANGELICA GLOVER (Union, NJ/Union Catholic) ended a scoreless game with a golden goal off a cross from senior forward JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) just 4:11 into the first overtime period, and rookie goalkeeper BRITTANY HOFFMAN (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) notched her second straight shutout behind another solid effort by the Gothic Knight defense as NJCU defeated host SUNY New Paltz, 1-0, in the championship game of the Michelle Vargas-Robin Memorial Tournament Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field.
 
NJCU improves to 3-0-0 overall while winning its third tournament championship in program history. The Knights have outscored opponents 15-1 to open the season. New Paltz falls to 1-2-0. It was the first-ever meeting between the schools in women's soccer.

NJCU, playing only the 19^th overtime game in the 19-year history of the program, wins an overtime game for the first time since a 2-1 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas College in October 9, 1999. Meanwhile, it was the first road overtime victory in program history.
 
New Paltz outshot NJCU, 14-11, but the Knights had the only two shots of the extra period. The Hawks only put three shots on goal all game and Hoffman made all three saves, while extending her current shutout streak to 259:46. That represents the third longest scoreless minutes streak in school history and just 8:45 of eclipsing the school record of 268:30 set in 1995.
 
“I'm happy we won this tournament, especially for the seniors who helped pull this win together,” said sixth-year head coach ROBERT BIELAN. “The captains stepped up and motivated the team to win on the road on a field we've never played on before. It was exciting. New Paltz came out and attacked us—we just wanted it more. The girls played hard for 95 minutes, believed in themselves as a team, and went out and played really hard. Those five minutes of overtime were an amazing effort.”
 
NJCU got the tournament winner early in the 95^th minute. Junior midfielder DELIA CHERNEZ (Union City, NJ/Union City) made a quick restart on a throw-in on the right side, finding Albuja who made a cut to beat a defender before airing out a cross into the box. New Paltz junior goalkeeper Stephanie Vega (Oceanside, NY/Baldwin Senior), who made two saves in defeat, came out to try to cut off the cross which bounced once in the box. But with three Gothic Knight forwards charging the pass, Glover leaped, snapping her header over the keeper's hands and into the upper left corner of the net.
 
Glover, who netted her second goal of the season—both coming in the tournament—had a game-high four shots to lead NJCU. Albuja's only shot of the game came 2:30 into the overtime period, forcing Vega to make a save, less than two minutes prior to the game-winning goal.
 
Senior captains ERICA BUONACQUISTA (Aberdeen, NJ/Bayonne) and NICOLE SARICA (Linden, NJ/Linden) and freshman JANINE CASALE (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) each played a full 94 minutes on defense to lead the shutout effort and freshman DEVON WILLIAMS (Neptune City, NJ/Neptune) played the first 80 minutes of the game in the back.
 
“We had two freshmen and the two senior captains playing defense,” said Bielan. “They had great cohesion and were strong back there. Devon [Williams, who missed the first game of the season with an injury] makes an immediate impact when she comes onto the field and is a really solid player. And BRITTANY HOFFMAN is the best keeper I have had in my six years as head coach, hands down. She has all the attributes of a good keeper and the potential to be even better. She absorbs everything Leah Tepperman [assistant coach/goalkeepers coach] tells her and executes it perfectly.”
 
Senior striker JULIA CASERES (Union, NJ/Union) had three shots (one on goal), despite being double and triple teamed for much of the contest, but was unable to tally a point and remains at 199 for her career—one shy of becoming the 32^nd player in Division III with 200 career points.
 
NJCU will seek its fourth consecutive win to open the season on Wednesday, September 7 in a non-conference road game against Neumann University at 8 p.m. in Aston, PA.