JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Rowan University led 2-0 at halftime and overcame a number of quality scoring chances by the New Jersey City University men's soccer team in a 3-1 outcome in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on October 25 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
Rowan (10-8-0, 4-4-0 NJAC) is in a three-way tie with Richard Stockton College and Kean University for fourth place in the NJAC—two points ahead of William Paterson University—for the final berths in the six-team conference tournament with one game remaining in the league schedule. NJCU fell to 1-14-4 (0-7-1 NJAC, winless 16).
 
Junior goalkeeper Tyler Krychkowski (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) made nine saves to keep NJCU in the contest including a number of athletic, sprawling stops. Rowan outshot NJCU, 22-15 with a 13-7 cushion in the second half.
 
Three different players logged goals for Rowan in the 15^th, 33^rd and 64^th minutes before NJCU broke up the Profs' shutout bid with 41 seconds remaining.
 
Freshman back Mohamed Elamin (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) scored his second goal of the season for NJCU in the 90^th minute when the rebounded save of a free kick by rookie midfielder Marco Campos (Union, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) taken from the far right side caromed to the near left post where Elamin deposited home the rebound in the upper netting. The assist was Campos' second of the season.
 
Sophomore back Shane Patterson (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) got Rowan on the board at 14:11 when he dribbled down the far right sideline after receiving a pass from sophomore midfielder Vinny Ignatowicz (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), eluded a defender, and rocketed an unassisted shot into the right side for his second tally of the season.
 
Nearly 18 minutes later Ignatowicz stole the ball from an NJCU back, beat a defender 1v1 and hit a shot into the near left side netting. His fifth goal of the season proved to be the game winner. Rowan added an insurance goal at 63:13 of the second half when senior back Christian Fountain (Fredericksburg, VA) finished a cross from the far left endline from freshman midfielder Steve Kim (Chantilly, VA).
 
Fountain had a game-high seven shots including four on goal as five Profs had at least two shots. Freshman forward Luis Cruz (Princeton, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and sophomore midfielder Jon-Carlos Sosa (Belleville, NJ/Hillside) led NJCU with three shots. Fountain was thwarted twice inside the six on saves by Krychkowski in the 70^th and 72^nd frames.
 
Among NJCU's best scoring chances came in the 37^th minute. Down 2-0, NJCU stole possession in the box from Rowan junior keeper Graeham Gotrell (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) with junior forward Nicholas O'Neill (Eatontown, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) pressuring the play. The ball found Sosa outside the 18 but his shot at the open net hit the upper right crossbar.
 
Sosa had two other solid scoring opportunities in the 43^rd minute when a pass was flicked over the Rowan defense onto the left wing. But his first shot was saved by Gotrell from close range and the rebound was blocked.
 Gotrell, who finished with six saves for Rowan, also made a fine two-handed save on the near left wing on NJCU junior midfielder Aboubacar Diawara (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) after his long, creative dribbling beat a Prof defender into space. Diawara later stole the ball from Rowan on the left wing in the 61^st minute, dribbled the endline, and made a great centering pass that NJCU couldn't cash in. Diawara created yet another scoring chance in the 68^th minute with a through ball onto the left wing that the Knights eventually missed wide.
 
OF NOTE:

• Rowan leads the all-time series, 37-15-4 (won last four meetings).
• NJCU has been outscored 34-11 on the season.
• Rowan held a one-shot lead at halftime (9-8).
• Rowan's 28 fouls were the most in any game this season by NJCU or an opponent. The previous high was 21 by Maritime College (September 13). The 28 fouls were the most by an opponent since John Jay College committed 29 on September 17, 2012.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will play its final game of the 2014 season in a rescheduled Senior Day for co-captain Michael Cedeno (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) on Wednesday, October 29 against William Paterson. NJCU is 0-5-1 at home. NJCU has a chance to play spoiler; WP needs a win and a loss by Rowan, Kean or Stockton to secure an NJAC Tournament berth.