JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University and Rutgers-Newark were scoreless at halftime before the visiting Scarlet Raiders scored twice in a span of 57 seconds early in the second half and that lead held up as RUN won a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's soccer game, 2-1, on September 27 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
Sophomore center midfielder Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) scored a highlight-reel goal with just over 30 minutes remaining to cut the deficit in half—her seventh of the season and 20th in 23 career games. But NJCU (2-7-0, 0-3-0 NJAC), which already played potentially its two most difficult opponents on the schedule in two-time defending champion Rowan and current No. 2/3 TCNJ, couldn't find the equalizer.
 
Rutgers-Newark (8-3-0, 2-1-0 NJAC) sophomore forward Samantha Richter (Dumont, N.J.) scored her fifth and sixth goals of the season to stake RUN to the 2-0 lead and the winning margin. RUN outshot NJCU, 24-9.
 
Junior back Nina Carbonaro (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) (Middlesex, N.J.) assisted on the Vargas strike. Senior midfielder Angelika Barris (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.) and freshman midfielder Ana Lucia Silveira (Newark, N.J.) assisted on the first two goals, respectively.
 
Junior goalkeeper Dominique Jackson (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) made eight saves for NJCU; sophomore keeper Heidi Paulson (West Orange, N.J.) made one stop.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
In a scoreless first 45 minutes, the best opportunity for either side came in the 40th minute when sophomore forward Shayna Bohus (Park Ridge, N.J.) crossed a ball on the ground from the near left wing to the middle of the box to junior back Melissa Chaquea (Linden, N.J.), whose shot was blocked by the NJCU defense in front of the net just eight yards out. Newark had a 12-4 edge in first half shots but placed just two on goal (one for NJCU).
 
But Rutgers-Newark struck twice in a span of 57 seconds early in the second half. With 39:44 remaining, Barris crossed a ball from the near right wing inside the penalty mark and Richter headed the ball over Jackson into the upper right side. Then, at 38:47, Lucia Silveira curled a ball into the goalmouth from the far left sideline and Richter was wide open inside the six, turning her right leg to volley a shot into the open net.
 
In the 58th minute Vargas went in on a breakaway for NJCU but the attempt was broken up by a slide by Paulson.
 
Then, midway through the 61st minute, NJCU got one back. Carbonaro vaulted a ball over the RUN defense and down the near left sideline, sending Vargas in on a breakaway. After beating the defense down the near left wing, she dribbled to the left endline, drew the keeper to the post to cut off the strong side, then hit a shot into the far right side with an incredibly accurate shot.
 
RUN threatened again. In the 63rd minute, a shot by Silveira was saved from 10 yards out off a corner attempt. In the 66th minute, Barris won the ball back from a defender and hit a shot towards the near right post. Jackson made a diving mid-air save to set it aside. NJCU's last chance, a free kick from 25 yards with 50 seconds left by Vargas, was wide.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 18th meeting; Newark leads the series, 15-3.
• Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) has scored seven of NJCU's eight goals on the season through nine games.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU is back home at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field on Saturday, September 30 at 2 p.m. against William Paterson University. It will be the second game of a four-game homestand. It will be the 22nd meeting in a series William Paterson leads, 18-2-1, including the last meeting, a 2-1 double overtime contest on October 1, 2016 in Wayne, N.J.

 
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