JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University (1-2-1) scored a pair of second-half goals in an attempted comeback after falling behind 2-0 against John Jay College (1-1-0) but couldn't find the equalizer in the waning moments and fell, 3-2, in a non-conference game on September 5 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
The Gothic Knights fell behind 2-0 on goals in the 25th and 36th minutes. Sophomore forward Sylwia Lubczenko (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne), playing in her first game since the 2016 season after missing all of last year, cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 69th minute and Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) cut it to 3-2 late in the 87th minute after John Jay cashed in on a penalty kick in the 76th.
 
A pair of goals from Bloodhound freshman Gianna Russo (East Northport, N.Y.), and an opening tally from sophomore Kimberly Robledo (Commack, N.Y.) proved enough to hand NJCU the L.
 
Senior midfielder Karen Tuesta (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) and senior back Daniela Betancourt (Secaucus, NJ/Memorial) registered assists for the Gothic Knights.
 
The match started off an even affair, neither team offering much in terms of attacking threats, with the majority of the action taking place in the midfield. That changed in the 25th minute, when Robledo put the ball between the legs of an NJCU defender and then hit a high shot off the underside of the crossbar and in past NJCU freshman goalkeeper Cidney Lee-Sam (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge).
 
Ten minutes later, the post almost ended up the Knights' friend, keeping out an initial attempt from John Jay freshman Katie Healy (Merrick, NY), but Russo was first to the rebound, finding the back of the net for the 2-0 lead for the Bloodhounds.
 
The Knights came out looking better in the second 45.
 
"In the second half, we came out and regrouped," head coach Anthony Tuesta said. "We had a better level of focus, and we were much more intense than we had been in the first half."
 
That focus and energy paid off in the 69th minute, when Lubczenko was the finisher on a nice move that started with Daniela Betancourt (Secaucus, NJ/Memorial) in midfield, pinged out to Karen Tuesta (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) on the wing, and finished with the ball in the back of the net and the Bloodhound lead cut to 2-1.
 
That deficit would reach two once again just seven minutes later, however, as Russo tacked on her second tally of the game, knocking a penalty shot off the right post and in for the 3-1 John Jay lead.
 
The Knights were once again emboldened, however, and they had several chances in the latter stages of the game. One of those chances was finished by the reigning NJAC Offensive Player of Week, Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial). Vargas sent a bullet from the right wing past the Bloodhound goalkeeper in the 87th minute to cut the lead to 3-2 and make for an interesting end to the match. It was her fourth goal and ninth points of the season.
 
In the end, the Knights couldn't quite come back for the tie, but they stayed active until the game's dying minutes. "We had three to four opportunities to tie it up," Tuesta noted.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU now leads all-time, 4-1-0, and own an 21-5 goals differential.
• Although the Knights were outshot 16-14 overall, NJCU actually had more attempts on goal for the game, forcing John Jay freshman goalkeeper Brittany Shaneberger (South Huntington, N.Y.) into six saves. Lee-Sam made two saves for NJCU.
• The goal for Lubczenko was her first since October 18, 2016 against York.
• The assists for Betancourt and Tuesta were both of their firsts for the 2018 season.

 
UP NEXT:

• The Knights play their first road game of the season, facing off with York College (0-3-0) in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y. on Monday, September 10 at 7:30 PM.

 
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