JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | After 45 scoreless minutes, New Jersey City University (5-2-0) broke through with a trio of second-half goals in an action-filled final 45 to top St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (2-6-0) by a final score of 3-0 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field on September 19. With the win, the Gothic Knights surpassed last season's win total just seven games into the campaign.
 
Theo Sanoh (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) opened the scoring in the 47th minute, his eighth tally of the season before he added an assist on the second score. That goal, in the 58th minute, allowed Edric De Paula (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) to double the Knights lead with his fourth goal of the season, before a St. Joseph's own goal finished it off. For NJCU, it was their fourth shutout of the 2018 season.
 
NJCU put 16 of its 26 shots on goal and SJCBK sophomore keeper Alejandro Oliveros (Brooklyn, N.Y.) kept the Bears alive with a season-high 13 saves on the game, several of which denied outstanding NJCU chances.
 
For all the action of the second half, the first half started off a bit slower, with the Knights holding the majority of the possession, but there were no real chances for either team until the latter stages of the first half. St. Joseph's midfielder Mateusz Georges (Brooklyn, N.Y.) created the first real chance of the game late in the first half, as he made it to the left endline and sent a pass all the way across goal, just past the outstretched leg of sophomore midfielder Kenneth Garcia (Elmhurst, N.Y.), leaving the chance begging.
 
NJCU's best chance of the second half came on a breakaway in the 34th minute when he swatted at a strike by De Paula up and off the crossbar from the middle of the box, before covering it up.
 
The overall run of play was tilted towards the Knights, however, and right after the restart that pressure boiled over, as the Bear backline turned the ball over directly to Sanoh, who calmly curled the ball into the right corner of the goal from the left flank to put NJCU up 1-0 on the scoreboard.

 
The Knights handed a golden chance back to the Bears immediately after, but St. Joseph's College couldn't convert their 3-on-1 opportunity, and Eric Lopes Silva (Newark, NJ/Newark East Side) ended up with the save, one of his three stops on the afternoon. The Bears had another great chance a few minutes later, as another Bears endline cross flashed its way across the entire mouth of goal, but there was no one on the end of the cross to finish it.
 
Despite the couple chances on the other end, the Knights were able to double their lead in the 58th minute, as a cross came in from the right flank that Sanoh was able to get on the end of, but his shot was blocked. De Paula was there for the rebound, though, immediately pushing it past Oliveros to put the Knights up 2-0.
 
From there, the Knights brought in several subs, including goalie Aldahir Cazun (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson), who would be tested plenty in the final 16:35. The sophomore keeper made six saves down the stretch, as the Bears attack pushed into overdrive in their attempt to cut into the NJCU lead.
 
It was the Knights who would tally the final goal of the match, however, as an attack from the NJCU right flank resulted in a St. Joseph's College own goal, putting the Knights up 3-0 in the 73rd minute.
 
There were chances aplenty down the stretch for both sides, but neither team tallied another goal.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads, 3-0-0.
• Theo Sanoh (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) has scored eight of NJCU's 15 total goals this season; the Knights have surrendered just five goals.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU gets their first home conference game of the 2018 season, as NJAC foe William Paterson (4-1-1) travels to Jersey City to face off on Saturday, September 22 at 1:00 p.m. WPUNJ is ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Division III South Atlantic Region.

 
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