JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Three goals in less than three minutes in the final six minutes of the game helped Rowan University (9-4-0, 3-2-0 NJAC) to pull away from New Jersey City University (5-6-0, 0-5-0 NJAC), 6-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference matchup at Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field on October 6. Rowan is ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Division III South Atlantic Region.
 
Four different players scored for Rowan, with senior forward Ryan Campbell (Wyckoff, N.J.) and senior forward Shane Doherty (Delran, N.J.) each tallying a brace. Will Sjaastad (Allentown, N.J.) and freshman defender Jackson Nwokeoma (Houston, TX) also scored for the Profs, with four of the six tallies coming in the final 14 minutes.
 
Rowan set the pace for the game early, controlling possession with both teams breaking for chances. The Profs opened the scoring in the 18th minute when a clearance out of the defensive third landed at the feet of Campbell, who took the ball down field, split a pair of NJCU defenders, and slotted the ball past NJCU keeper Eric Lopes Silva (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) for the opening goal of the match.
 
Campbell doubled the lead in the 39th minute, this time with a pair of assists coming from junior back Nick Schlageter (Jackson, N.J.) and senior mid Kevin Pereira (Allentown, N.J.). The goals were his eighth and ninth of the year. Rowan outshot NJCU 17-5 in the first half.
 
The Knights put several shots on target, demanding three saves from the Profs in the first half. The Knights were without their leading goal scorer, Theo Sanoh (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson), with sophomore forward Luis Laing (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) taking Sanoh's spot in attack. Without Sanoh, it was freshman midfielder Samuel Ansah (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) who created the most for NJCU, putting a team-leading two shots on target for the match while creating some dangerous chances down the flanks.
 
The score stayed 2-0 for nearly 38 minutes, as the Gothic Knights tried to cut into the Rowan lead, but that plan fell apart late, as Rowan scored four goals in the final 14 minutes—the final three coming in a span of 2:36 in the 85th and 87th minutes . Nwokeoma made his impact felt as a sub during the goal-heavy stretch, tallying a goal and an assist, his second goal of the season and first assist of 2018. Just 33 seconds separated Rowan's fourth and fifth goals.
 
Despite the six goals, Lopes Silva had some strong stops for NJCU, finishing the match with a career-high 14 saves. The NJCU attack was held in check for the most part by a stout backline for Rowan, led by captain Will Sjaastad who also scored on a direct free kick in the 87th minute for the final goal of the 6-0 win for the Profs.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series record: 60th meeting. Rowan leads all-time, 41-15-4.
• Lopes Silva's previous season high for saves was eight at Rowan on September 26.
• Lopes Silva's previous career high for saves was 11 in a 3-2 double overtime loss at NYU on October 3, 2017.
• Lopes Silva reached double figures in saves for the second time as a collegian.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU has two days off before their next NJAC game, when it travels to MSU Soccer Park to face off with the Red Hawks of Montclair State University (11-1-1, 4-0-0 NJAC) on Tuesday, October 9 at 7:00 p.m.

 
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