JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Stockton University (8-7-3, 4-2-2 NJAC) got on the scoreboard in the eighth minute and never looked back, using four first-half goals to defeat New Jersey City University (6-9-0, 0-8-0 NJAC), 5-0, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field on October 20.
 
Stockton outshot NJCU 21-8, and they scored on five of their six shots on target. For the Gothic Knights, only one of their eight shots demanded a save. The lone shot on target for NJCU came from freshman midfielder Michael Mills (Irvington, NJ/Newark Tech).
 
Stockton freshman forward Villy Fortulus (Winslow Twp., N.J.) opened the scoring for the Ospreys on an unassisted tally as he did all the work himself with a solo take-on from the left flank—a sign of the very strong game to come for both Fortulus and Stockton as a whole.
 
After Fortulus got the Ospreys on the board, senior midfielder Eucario Solano (Galloway, N.J.) doubled the margin in the 24th minute, bending a free kick around the wall and beating NJCU sophomore goalkeeper Aldahir Cazun (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) (one save) inside the near left post.
 
Fortulus and the Osprey attack continued to build, with the NJCU backline having to interfere with a couple close chances—once with sophomore captain Mike Almeida (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) putting in an important tackle and later with junior forward Koshane Marshall (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) clearing a ball off the line.
 
Stockton would not be denied much longer, however, as a pair of goals in under five minutes of each other ballooned the lead to 4-0. First, Fortulus found sophomore midfielder Ervin Gjeli (Hasbrouck Height, N.J.) unmarked running onto the goal line for a wide-open header, and then sophomore defender Max Bond (Cherry Hill, N.J.) put the finishing touch on a ball that junior forward Justin Ruiz (Wayne, N.J.) put all the work into, making a long run down the left side and sending it to the back post for Bond to finish off.
 
Fortulus collected his fifth point of the game in the 59th minute, when he got on the end of a messy clearance from the Knights off an Osprey corner, finding the back of the net for the second time this game and ninth time for the season as a whole. He finished the game with five points.
 
The Knights began to finally build some pressure late in the match, but it was too little, too late, and the loss eliminated the Knights from any potential postseason opportunities. Junior goalkeeper Michael Lescano (Union, N.J.) picked up the win and the lone save of the match for Stockton, while junior goalkeeper Travis Yates (Washington Twp., N.J.) took the second half of action but was not forced into making any saves.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series record: 46th meeting; Stockton leads 33-7-6.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU plays its final non-conference match of the season on Monday, October 22, hosting the College of Staten Island (13-4) at 4:00 p.m. at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.  
• Freshman forward Edric De Paula (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) led the Knights with four shots.

 
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