New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME NOTES/PROGRAM
SENIOR DAY PHOTO GALLERY

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The College of New Jersey, the top ranked New Jersey Athletic Conference women's soccer team in the regional and national polls, scored three times in each half and saw six different players tally a goal as the #13/18 ranked Lions defeated New Jersey City University, 6-0, in a conference contest on October 20 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
On Senior Day 2012 NJCU honored its five seniors prior to the contest—forwards ANGELICA GLOVER (Union, NJ/Union Catholic) and KELSEY PLASKON (Clifton, NJ/Queen of Peace), center midfielder BRIANNA TAYLOR (Linden, NJ/Linden), and twin sisters and defenders AMANDA SPETHMANN and CHELSEA SPETHMANN (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights-Wood Ridge). All five seniors will graduate as honor students.
 
TCNJ, ranked #13 nationally by D3soccer.com and #18 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), with a No. 4 ranking in the NCAA South Atlantic Region, improved to 14-1-1 on the year and 6-1-1 in the league. NJCU dropped to 6-10-2 and 1-7 in the conference. TCNJ is 18-0 all-time against the Gothic Knights.
 
In defeat, sophomore goalkeeper BRITTANY HOFFMAN (McMurray, PA/Peters Township), who had never missed a second of action in two years for NJCU prior to October 13, returned from a potential season-ending injury and made nine saves in 69:41 of action, allowing four goals. Freshman ALICIA WEBER (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) gave up two goals (0 saves), including a penalty kick. NJCU also had two team saves by AMANDA SPETHMANN and junior defender KARLA REYES-ABRIL (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex).
 
Junior forward Katie Lindacher (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Egg Harbor Township), senior forward Allyson Anderson (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant) and sophomore forward Jordan Downs (Brick, NJ/Brick) scored TCNJ's first half goals in the 9^th, 23^rd and 29^th minutes.
 
Sophomore forward Korrie Harkins (Wenonah, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), sophomore forward Leigh Applestein (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) and freshman midfielder Emma Culleton (New Providence, NJ/New Providence) each scored in the second half (48^th, 78^th and 83^rd minutes).
 
Applestein finished with three points, adding an assist. TCNJ also got helpers from junior midfielder Sloan DePiero (Ramsey, NJ/Ramsey), senior defender Brenna Rubino (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) and senior defender Katie Cornacchia (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood).
 
Sophomore Kendra Griffith (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) played the first 45 minutes, making one save. Sophomore Cristina Gacos (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) made three saves in the second half. Her most notable save preserved the shutout in the 80^th minute, diving to the left post to stop a penalty kick by Taylor, who had been 3-for-3 on PKs this year.
 
TCNJ used 27 players in the contest and outshot the Knights, 33-8, including 18-3 in the second half. The Lions were whistled for 11 offsides. TCNJ also hit the crossbar twice in the contest.
 
The Lions got on the board at the 8:13 mark as DePiero lofted a ball over the NJCU defense from behind the midfield circle, sending Lindacher in on a breakaway run which she finished on the right side of the box for her 11^th goal of the season and the eventual winner.
 
Anderson made it 2-0 at 22:13 when she received a long thru ball from Rubino, sidestepped a defender and a diving Hoffman at the edge of the six, before knocking a shot into the net on the left post for her sixth goal. Downs cashed in on a penalty kick at 28:14 for a 3-0 halftime lead and her third goal of the season.
 
Just 2:31 into the second half, Harkins made it 4-0 with her fourth goal of the season, settling a clear on the left side of the box near the 18, before uncorking a one-timer into the upper left corner. Applestein and Cornacchia teamed for a give-and-go play at the 77:54 mark, with Applestein collecting her second goal of the season off a final pass from the left  wing, finishing a one-timer from near the left post into the near right bottom. Culleton poked the rebound of a saved shot by Applestein inside the right post at 82:02 for a 6-0 lead and her first collegiate goal.
 
NJCU will wrap up its 20^th season of intercollegiate women's soccer on Wednesday, October 24 when it travels to Camden, NJ for a 6 p.m. NJAC contest against Rutgers University-Camden under the lights. TCNJ will play a critical conference game at home against Rowan University on Thursday, October 25 at 7:30 p.m., that likely will impact the league's regular season title.