ALBANY, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The latest start to a women's soccer game in New Jersey City University history, of course, went the distance. NJCU played its third double overtime game of the season and led by a 10-save performance by three-time All-New Jersey Athletic Conference goalkeeper Brittany Hoffman (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) and a 38^th minute goal by junior back Cassie Lubonski (Edison, NJ/Edison)—the Gothic Knights' backup keeper—settled for a 1-1 draw with The Sage Colleges on September 25.
 
In the first-ever meeting between the schools in a game that didn't start until 8:15 p.m., the two sides played 110 minutes on a wet turf field following rain in the Northeast and didn't leave the pitch until nearly 10:45 p.m. Sage (4-2-2), a member of the Skyline Conference, outshot NJCU (3-2-2), 15-4.
 
Hoffman (494 career saves) stopped four shots in the first half, two in the second and four more in the extra sessions—all in the second overtime as she reached double figures in saves for the 22nd time in her career and second consecutive game. Most notable was a 54^th minute save by Hoffman of a Jenna Retell penalty kick opportunity that proved vital in the outcome of the contest.

 
Sage got on the board in the 33^rd minute as Taylor Lynch came off the bench to score on a shot from 18 yards, finding the left portion of the net from the right side. The unassisted goal at 32:05 was her first.
 
In the 38^th minute, freshman forward Madison Castellanos (Morristown, NJ/Morristown) made a play down the wing, sending a ball to freshman midfielder Mudindia Saint Jean (Elizabeth, NJ/John Dwyer Technology Academy). She flicked a shot that hit a Sage defender in the hand in the box. 

With NJCU awarded a subsequent penalty kick, Lubonski hit a beautiful shot high to the goalie's right for her first collegiate goal or points on her first shot attempt of the season and only the seventh shot of her collegiate career.
 Tied 1-1 at the break, an unlucky break for NJCU led to Sage's penalty kick opportunity. After a ball was played back to Hoffman, the ball skipped up on the wet turf but she was able to recover and shouldered a challenging player off the ball and won it back. However the trailing referee whistled Hoffman for a foul in the box and Sage was awarded a PK of its own before the Gothic Knight co-captain stopped the Gators' shot and smothered the rebound.
 
"I did my usual ritual for a PK which is really just a way to get into the shooter's head," Hoffman described. "She hit it to the lower right corner of the goal but not quite hard enough. I made the initial save and then recovered the rebound to finish it out."
 
Hoffman had to come up big because NJCU only had one shot after the first half—a save by Sage keeper Teagan Waddingham in the 93^rd frame. Hoffman stopped three shots in the first four minutes of the second overtime and another in the 105^th on what proved to be the final attempt of the game for either side.


"Brit was amazing as usual," complimented second-year head coach Mike Vivino. "The PK save was the perfect example. Her leadership tonight was a huge help on the big field. Overall from everyone I couldn't be happier with the effort, especially after a three-hour bus ride in the late evening. From the training sessions this week until tonight, they have really brought their game to a new level."
 
NJCU will hope that new level yields its first NJAC points of the season when the Knights face Rutgers University-Camden in conference play in Camden, NJ at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 27.