JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University and Kean University played more than 61 scoreless minutes before the Cougars broke through with a header in the 62nd minute, capitalized on a 73' own goal and added another late tally with NJCU pressing up field as Kean defeated NJCU, 3-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game on October 9 at the Robert L. McNulty Soccer Field.
 
Kean (7-5-1, 2-4-0 NJAC) won its third straight game to pull within a point of being in the NJAC Tournament. NJCU dropped to 4-7-2 (0-5-1 NJAC), losing its fifth straight Kean had a narrow 14-11 margin in shots. It was the second straight shutout for Kean.
 
Junior midfielder Nicholas Sica (Toms River, N.J.) and freshman forward Vinceroy Nelson (St. Marys Cayon, St. Kitts) collected goals with senior back Alex Noriega (Somerville, N.J.) and senior midfielder Michael Vargas (West Orange, N.J.) picking up assists.
 
Junior Derek Phells (Avenel, N.J.) made four saves to preserve the shutout. Freshman goalkeeper Eric Lopes Silva (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) stopped three shots for NJCU.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a largely uneventful first half that saw just nine total shots (5-4 NJCU), the Knights had the two best scoring opportunities. In the 11th minute, NJCU appeared to score off a short corner kick from freshman midfielder Joe Burgos (Hackensack, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep), as freshman back Mike Almeida (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) headed it to freshman midfielder Jonathan Franco (South River, NJ/South River) on the far left post. His header went top shelf but he was whistled for offside. Freshman midfielder Diego López also had a dangerous bicycle kick blocked in front of the net in the ninth minute.
 
In the 48th minute, junior forward Theo Sanoh had a chance on the right wing that was blocked and trickled toward the goal line but cleared late by Kean's defense coming back.
 
Kean would break through at the 61:45 mark. Noriega played a ball from the left sideline into the left side of the box where Sica flicked a header into the lower near right side netting for his second tally of the season and the eventual game-winner.
 
With 17:08 remaining, Kean capitalized on a major break. Senior midfielder Ishmael Soria (Piscataway, N.J.) crossed a ball from the left wing into the box. NJCU's defense slid to try to break it up, but knocked it into its own net for an own goal.
 
Kean cemented the win with 7:43 left. On a corner kick and down by two goals, NJCU pressed nine men upfield. But Kean won the ball, sent it deep to Vargas for a 2-on-1 breakaway, before he dished it to Nelson, who sidestepped the NJCU keeper and tucked a shot into the lower right side from the left endline for his fifth goal of the season.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 59th meeting since 1959; Kean leads, 38-18-3, winning the last four meetings.
• NJCU was playing its first home game since September 23, following four consecutive road games.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU is home for the second of four straight home games on Saturday, October 14 (2 p.m.) when it hosts Ramapo College (7-8, 2-4 NJAC) in NJAC action. The Roadrunners have a sight 21-19-5 lead in the all-time series, winning the last four outing. It will be the 46th meeting.

 
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