THROGGS NECK, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University battled back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime to tie it midway through the second half and dominated the period with 13 of the first 15 shots. But Maritime College (NY) went ahead on a leaping header in the 87^th minute and NJCU missed a golden opportunity to tie it with a shot off the crossbar in the 88^th minute as the Gothic Knights fell to the Privateers, 3-2, in another non-conference road contest on September 13.
 
NJCU (1-4-2) is winless in its last four games (0-3-1) and lost to the Privateers (2-3-0) for the first time in three meetings. NJCU lost despite outshooting the hosts, 22-14, including 17-6 in a physical game played on a wet, rainy turf field. Maritime was whistled for 21 fouls; NJCU had just seven violations.
 
Maritime, which had been outscored 10-2 in the first two meetings between the schools, struck twice in a span of 2:08 in the 22^nd and 24^th minutes before the Knights evened in with two goals in less than three minutes as sophomore midfielder Davauni Brown (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) and senior holding center midfielder Michael Cedeno (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) each scored for NJCU.
 

Karl Weber made eight saves for Maritime while previous Disney Soccer/NSCAA Division III National Player of the Week and converted junior goalkeeper Tyler Krychkowski (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) made five saves for NJCU.
 
With NJCU getting chance after chance in the second half, the outcome ultimately came down to the final moments of play. Krychkowski made two saves in the final 10 minutes—smothering a breakaway and a last-second shot by Maritime's Shieck Wattara in the 83^rd minute then stopping a Taylor McFadzen header late in the 86^th minute.
 
But with 3:03 remaining, Maritime came up with the decisive goal as David Hraska, Jr. leaped to head a free kick from Patrick McCarty into the top left side of the net for a 3-2 margin.
 
NJCU had one outstanding opportunity to even it with just over two minutes remaining. Freshman midfielder Benedict Adundo (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had Weber beat after a cross left him wide open in the middle of the field and he made a move into the box in a 1-on-1. But his shot rang off the left side of the crossbar at the 87:50 mark and NJCU didn't have another chance.
 Maritime, which had more shot opportunities in the first half, got on the board at 21:33 when Kieran Donnelly turned a long lead pass from Andrew Barry into a breakaway that was finished into the lower right corner.
 
Less than two minutes later, Donnelly, who finished with three points, headed a throw-in from Tim Swinehart onto the foot of Renato Chira-Farfan for a 2-0 lead off the double helper.
 
NJCU nearly scored in the 28^th minute when a free kick from 25 yards out by junior back Christopher Segovia (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) was knocked out of the top right corner on a diving stop by Weber. Maritime later hit the right post in the 40^th minute.
 
NJCU finally got on the board in the 63^rd minute after a number of chances earlier in the period. After junior forward Nicholas O'Neill (Eatontown, NJ/Red Bank Regional) had back-to-back shots blocked in the box, the carom was cleared out and Brown buried a shot from 35 yards out that just eluded the Maritime keeper.
 
Early in the 66^th minute, Weber made a save on a shot by sophomore back Gabriel Freitas (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) but after a hand ball in the box, Cedeno was awarded and subsequently buried a game-tying penalty kick into the lower left side for his first career goal or points in 31 games at NJCU.
 
After seven games in two and a half weeks away from Jersey City, NJCU finally opens its 2014 home schedule on Wednesday, September 17 at 3 p.m. when it meets College of Staten Island at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.