Box Score STATEN ISLAND, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior Tyler Krychkowski (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington), in just his second collegiate game as a goalkeeper, made 13 saves including five in two overtime periods as the New Jersey City University men's soccer team overcame a lopsided shots differential to force a 1-1 tie with the United States Merchant Marine Academy on August 31 in the second round of the College of Staten Island (CSI) Soccer Fall Classic. Both goals scored in the game were penalty kicks in the final five minutes of regulation.
 
USMMA (1-0-1), 3-0 winners over host CSI in the tournament opening game, outshot NJCU (0-0-2), 34-8, including 11-0 in the first half and 9-0 in overtime, but the Gothic Knight defense, backed by Krychkowski, held its ground to open the season with back-to-back ties. The Mariners also held a 10-1 advantage in corner kicks.
 
After opening a season with a tie on August 30 for just the third time in program history and the first time in nearly 30 years (1970 and 1985), NJCU has now tied an opponent in consecutive games for the first time ever.
 
All-New Jersey Athletic Conference junior midfielder Aboubacar Diawara (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) put NJCU on top in the 86^th minute when he buried a penalty kick into the lower right side at 85:18. The play was set up when Diawara received a pass from the left midfielder, chased the ball into the box and was tugged down while trying to turn towards the goal.
 
A handball in the box in the 89^th minute gave USMMA a tying opportunity and Kyle Arestivo capitalized, hitting a hard, low shot into the left side of the net at 88:55. Krychkowski got a piece of the ball but couldn't keep the blistering shot out.
 
Still, Krychkowski, a converted field player this offseason appearing in goal for the first time at any level of competitive soccer, was a PK away from a pair of clean sheets on the season's opening weekend and did not allow a run of play goal in 220 minutes of action.
 
The 13 saves were the most by any Gothic Knight goalkeeper since Hall-of-Famer Jeff East `04 made 14 saves against Rowan University on October 28, 2000.
 "He kept putting himself in great position," praised third-year head coach Patrick Snyder on Krychkowski's effort. "Over both days he made a lot of clearances that would have otherwise been more chances, using his feet. His field experience gives us another option on defense because they're comfortable playing the ball to him with his feet. It's helpful because he's as athletic as he is and he saves balls from being corner kicks that other guys wouldn't be able to get to or wouldn't have thought to. He was very good for us this weekend."
 
Krychkowski was aided by a defensive unit that included junior Christopher Segovia (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial), sophomores Gabriel Freitas (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) and Hector Linares (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and rookie Mohamed Elamin (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) in the back with senior Michael Cedeno (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) and freshman Marco Campos (Union, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) chipping in as holding center midfielders.
 
Assessing the win, Snyder said: "I think it shows how hard we're working defensively and the pride the group is taking. I would think USMMA is going to be an NCAA tournament team; they're very good. There is some luck [involved]. We haven't given up a lot of very good chances. The guys in the back are throwing their bodies around and Tyler made the saves."
 
"We're going to get better. We're asking this group of guys to play a style that's not natural to them and they're doing it pretty well so far. We spent two weeks talking about defending. While we didn't have a ton of [offensive] chances we had some, and we were leading the game with five minutes to go. To get to the 15 minute mark left in a game with a good team at 0-0 is where we want to be because it gives us a chance."
 
NJCU plays its next game on Wednesday, September 3 at 3 p.m. when it faces City College of New York on Randall's Island in New York.