JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Despite a career-high 15 saves by freshman goalkeeper Adam Cassidy (Jersey City, N.J./County Prep), including a number of sprawling, sliding and diving stops, William Paterson University cashed in once, on a 67th minute breakaway and defeated the New Jersey City University men's soccer team, 1-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference on October 1 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
NJCU, which came into the game ranked second in the NJAC in scoring, was shutout for the third consecutive game—all in league play—to fall to 8-4-1 (0-4-0 NJAC). The Pioneers outshot NJCU 22-9, including 13-3 in the first half, to up their mark to 6-4-1 (2-2-0 NJAC).
 
Cassidy had the most saves by any NJAC goalkeeper in a game of any type in nearly a decade; Rutgers-Camden's Tim VanLiew had 15 saves at Montclair State on October 4, 2008. NJCU also had a team save by freshman back Maykol Bello (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth).
 
The only goal of the game came at the 66:57 mark as sophomore back Zach Perez (Edison, N.J./Rutgers Prep) slipped a ball up the middle of the field to senior midfielder Juan Sebastian Londono (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), who narrowly avoided the offsides call and with Cassidy aggressively attacking the breakaway, snuck  a shot inside the far right post from just inside the 18.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Cassidy made nine saves in the first half alone to keep the game scoreless at the break including two great saves after the Gothic Knights made what could have been costly mistakes.
 
In the 15th minute, WPU freshman midfielder Keysean Brant-Sharp (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) had a clean look at the far side netting but Cassidy made a diving kick save and recovered to smother the rebound. Brant-harp had another look at the net in the 24th minute before Bello denied him with a defensive team save inside the six.
 
In the 29th minute, after an errant header at midfield by NJCU sent the ball in the wrong direction, Cassidy came out and made a sliding save on the left wing on junior midfielder Dante Petrocelli (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury). Then in the 33rd minute NJCU allowed a ball it believed was rolling out of bounds to go. WPU managed to keep it on the touchline and switched the ball across the field to the far left post where Cassidy made a spectacular kick save on junior mid JP Gonzales (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech).
 
Cassidy later corralled two hard strikes by freshman mid Dromo Quaye (North Plainfield, N.J./North Plainfield). Perhaps his best save came late in the 43rd minute when WP freshman forward Jake Dufner (Lakehurst, N.J./Central Regional) had a cut back in the box and a point-blank look at the goal but his one-timer destined for the top shelf was tipped over the crossbar on an incredible right-handed reaction by Cassidy.
 
He made another nice backpedaling save in the 63rd minute and had a diving stop of Brant-Sharp in the 75th minute to keep it a one-goal deficit after WP got on the board minutes earlier. He aggressively dove on top of another breakaway in the 79th frame.
 
NJCU's only two dangerous chances came in the 73rd and 81st minute when WP freshman keeper Kyle Quigley (Columbus, N.J./Northern Burlington Regional) stopped shots by NJCU senior midfielder Davauni Brown (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech). Quigley finished with three saves to register the Pioneers' sixth shutout of the season.
 
Seven WPU players had multiple shots in the game. Brant-Sharp led all players with five (three on goal). Brown put two of his three attempts on goal for NJCU.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 59th meeting. WPU leads the all-time series, 35-20-4.
• NJCU has not scored in a span of 296:05.
• NJCU is 1-3-1 at home this season. NJCU is also 1-3-1 since the injury to senior midfielder Kevin Cavalcanti (Teaneck, N.J./Paramus Catholic).

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will be idle for a week until it hosts Rutgers University-Camden in an NJAC game on Saturday, October 8 at 1 p.m. in Jersey City. The Scarlet Raptors won last year's meeting in Camden, 3-1 (September 21, 2015) and lead the all-time series, 23-8-8. RCU is unbeaten in the last 13 meetings with NJCU (9-0-4).