JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The 2016 New Jersey City University men's soccer team now stands alone in the record books at 7-0-0. Sophomore forward Theo Sanoh (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson) buried a thru ball from freshman midfielder Jose Salazar (Jersey City, N.J./Union City) in the 24th minute and the Gothic Knight defense did the rest as NJCU broke the school record for most consecutive wins to start a season with a 1-0 shutout of the College of Staten Island in the 2016 home opener on September 14 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
NJCU posted its fourth shutout of the season and at 7-0-0 broke the record of six straight wins to open a season set by the 1966 squad for the greatest in the 58-year history of the program. CSI (3-2-1) lost for just the second time—both against members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Knights have outscored opponents in the first seven games, 23-5.
 
Sanoh netted his fifth goal of the season and third game-winner while Salazar upped his assist mark to three.
Freshman goalkeeper Adam Cassidy (Jersey City, N.J./County Prep) made three saves to remain unbeaten in seven games as a collegian. A well-organized defensive unit of senior and former All-NJAC back Gabriel Freitas (Kearny, N.J./Kearny), junior Luis Cruz (Princeton, N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro South), and freshmen Maykol Bello (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) and Ryan Stelicos (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) limited the Dolphins' opportunities.
 
Staten Island freshman keeper Jake Foeldes (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) made six saves, including a number of diving stops, to keep CSI within a goal.
 
NJCU outshot the Dolphins, 13-8. Sophomore forward Omar Ventura (Fairview, N.J./Cliffside Park) had a game-high four shots with two on goal.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a first half that only saw seven shots (5-2, NJCU), the Knights put three on frame. In the 23rd minute, Ventura won the ball on the far right side and took a hard shot that Foeldes had to bat out of bounds on the near right post.
 
NJCU got on the board on its next chance with 21:55 remaining as Salazar slipped a through ball up the middle to Sanoh who blasted a shot over the CSI keeper from 15 yards inside the box.
 
CSI had two first half shots and another good opportunity when a cross from the endline was denied by Cassidy, reaching and knocking the ball away with his left hand and then covering the loose ball.
 
NJCU had one additional chance in the final minute. Junior midfielder Gabriel Luzbet (East Newark, N.J./Harrison) came into the game with under a minute to go in the first half and immediately had a scoring chance, sidestepping a defender at the CSI 18 before Foeldes was forced to making a diving save towards the left post with 13 seconds left.
 
In the second half, the Knights two best scoring chances came in the final 20 minutes. In the 70th minute, sophomore midfielder Edwin Carbajal (Rahway, N.J./Rahway) struck a line drive just over the crossbar. In the 82nd minute, senior midfielder Davauni Brown (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) was held in the box, leading to a free kick just outside the 18 and his laser was punched away from the left post on a diving stop by Foeldes.
 
CSI had two chances at the very beginning and end of the half. In the first minute, senior Marcin Klim (Staten Island, N.Y.), who entered the day with seven goals, sent a great cross inside the six but the shot by Dardan Nika (Staten Island, N.Y.) was high. Then, in the final 10 seconds, a cross from the left wing sprung Klim for a diving header that sailed just wide of the right post.
 
#QUOTABLEKNIGHTS:
Head Coach Joe Cullen on how this team is 7-0-0: "I think it's pretty simple for these guys. We brought in a good group of guys and we've trimmed it up since the beginning of preseason and every one of these guys here bought in. They bought into what the coaching staff is asking them to do and it's not anything complicated. We ask them to come in every day and work hard and do the things we ask them to do, and come out on the field and make things difficult for the other team. We're not giving up easy goals, we're staying organized, staying compact and making games hard for teams. We had a handful of opportunities today, managed to cash in on one of them and then kind of ground out the rest of the game. They [CSI] were on us a little bit; they're a good side. But we were managed to grind it out and sometimes soccer games aren't that easy to win so I have to be OK with the 1-0 win, get out of here, 7-0 and make a little bit of history along the way."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads the all-time 'Bayonne Bridge Series', 19-9-3.
• NJCU posted its 218th shutout in school history. NJCU is 201-0-17 all-time when the opponent doesn't score.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
New Jersey Athletic Conference play opens on Saturday, September 17 (1 p.m.) and NJCU puts its unbeaten streak on the line in stiff challenge when it faces No. 3/10 nationally ranked Rowan University (6-0-0). The Profs are ranked No. 3 by D3soccer.com, No. 10 in the NSCAA Division III poll and No. 2 in the NCAA Division III South Atlantic Region.