Gothic Knight Insights video: Patrick Snyder, Gabriel Freitas, Tyler Krychkowski

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University junior goalkeeper Tyler Krychkowski (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) made five saves and the Gothic Knights got solid defensive contributions from starters and reserves in the back and midfield as NJCU snapped its losing streak and surprised playoff-hopeful Richard Stockton College with a 0-0 double overtime draw on October 18 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
The New Jersey Athletic Conference game was evenly played as the Ospreys (9-4-4, 2-2-4 NJAC) edged NJCU (1-13-4, 0-6-1 NJAC) in shots, 16-14. Stockton did have a large differential on corner kicks—14-3—but was whistled for 11 offsides.
 
Krychkowski's five saves—three in the first half and two in the second half—were the final shots on goal for Stockton, which did not put a shot on frame in the two overtimes. Krychkowski recorded his third shutout of the season.
 
Stockton senior Bobby Varga (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) made four saves for his eighth shutout of the season and the team's 10^th.
 
Junior midfielder Jared Ruff (Delran, NJ/Delran) also had a key team save in the 16^th minute, heading a header shot by rookie forward Luis Cruz (Princeton, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) off the line on the far right post after a corner kick. It was NJCU's best scoring opportunity of the game.
 
Varga made two other saves on breakaway chances by junior midfielder Aboubacar Diawara (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne). In the 22^nd minute, sophomore back Gabriel Freitas (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) fed a pass to Diawara from the midfield circle for a breakaway, but he couldn't get enough velocity on the shot and Varga made the save. Later, in the 33^rd minute Varga made a great, one-handed save towards the far post to stop another solid opportunity for NJCU after a feed from midfield by rookie Harwin Ventura (Fairview, NJ/Cliffside Park) sprung Diawara free. NJCU had five of the first six shots in the game.
 
Krychkowski had a pair of standout saves later in the opening period. In the 34^th frame, he dove towards the far left post to knock away a shot by Ruff. Two minutes later, Stockton had its bestchance of the game as sophomore forward Anthony Colofranson (Woodbury Heights, NJ/Gateway), the team's leading scorer with a dozen goals, had a breakaway chance after junior Ian Carmelia (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley) opened his teammate with a thru ball.
 

But on the 1-on-1, Krychkowski, the NSCAA Division III National Player of the Week on September 1 in his first-ever week playing the position in his life, came out to the penalty area, reached up to deflect the shot up and off the crossbar, and smothered the rebound. Krychkowski later stopped another breakaway in the 64^th minute and again in the 81^st minute—both shots coming off the foot of freshman Alex Kourahanis (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek).
 
Each team had three shots in overtime but NJCU had the two best chances. In the 101st minute of double overtime, a long throw in by sophomore back Davauni Brown (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) led to a lunging shot from Ventura, before Varga dove towards the far right post to prevent a golden goal. Freshman forward Nelson Sosa (West New York, NJ/Memorial) narrowly missed Diawara on a break in the 105^th minute.
 
Colofranson led all players with five shots while Ruff had four and Kourahanis put all three of his shots on frame. Five Gothic Knights had at least two shots with Cruz and Ventura each collecting three.

Freitas, sophomore back Hector Linares (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and Brown led a contingent of defenders in limiting Stockton to five shots on goal. All three players logged a full 110 minutes on the pitch, made more challenging after a pair of NJCU defenders had to leave the game with injuries.
 
QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Patrick Snyder (third season): "We defended very well and when Stockton got loose, Tyler [Krychkowski] snuffed out any potential chances they had when they had chances to score. We had our opportunities offensively and played really well."
 
"[We're still trying to] find a way to get the ball in the back of the net. The work rate and desire is there every day with these guys so I can never question them with that. We have a week to prepare for the game against Rowan so we will see what we can do to get better."
 

Sophomore back Gabriel Freitas: "We played for each other today. We feel that we defended much better today and continue to do so. We are staying together as a team."
 

OF NOTE:

• Stockton leads the all-time series, 29-7-6.
• It was NJCU's final game against long-time Stockton coach Jeff Haines who recently announce intentions to retire from coaching at the conclusion of the season.
• Stockton now has nine points in the NJAC standings—tied for fourth place with Kean and Rowan, who both had later games on October 18.
• The seventh overtime game of the season broke a 30-year old school record for overtimes. The previous mark of six was set in 1984 and equaled in 1985.
• It was the 125^th overtime game in the 56-year history of the program. NJCU is 26-28-71 all-time in overtime.
• It was the first overtime game since September 20. NJCU had opened the season with what is believed to be an NCAA-record five consecutive overtime games and reached extra time in six of the first nine games before losing the last eight contests.
• The 0-0 draw was the 17^th such scoreless game in school history and the third of the season.
• NJCU has been outscored, 31-10, on the season and outshot, 315-216.
• While NJCU's eight-game losing streak ends, its winless streak reached 14 games. NJCU's last win was September 3 (2-1, 2 OT) at CCNY. 
• Stockton's 14 corner kicks were the most by an opponent since Montclair State had 14 on October 16, 2010.
• The season-high 14 corners for the Stockton marked the fourth time an opponent has reached double figures in corners this year.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU plays its final two games of the season at home. NJCU will play Rowan University on Saturday, October 15 at 1 p.m. on Senior Day for co-captain Michael Cedeno (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) before wrapping up the year on Wednesday, October 29 vs. William Paterson University. NJCU is 0-4-1 at home.