JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |The New Jersey City University men's soccer team guaranteed its first winning season in seven years on a day where the Gothic Knights scored one of the most incredible goals you will ever see. Junior goalkeeper Aldahir Cazun (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) made eight saves and scored a goal—really, he did—as NJCU shutout Purchase College, 3-0, in the final non-conference game of the season on October 9 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field. It was the first meeting between the schools in Jersey City since 1982.
 
With the win, NJCU improves to 11-4-0 on the season and with five games remaining, have guaranteed its first winning season since going 11-10-1 in 2012 and just the second since 2008 when NJCU posted the ninth of nine consecutive winning campaigns. Purchase, the third place program in the Skyline Conference, fell to 6-5-1 overall. The win was NJCU's sixth shutout of the season.
 
On a day where both teams played on a wet field with patches of puddles after a full morning and early afternoon of rain, the showers held off for the entire 90 minutes. 
 
Sophomore forward Edric De Paula (Blairstown, NJ/Newark Tech) had a goal and an assist in the first half giving him 19 points on the season and sophomore midfielder Samuel Ansah (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) netted his fourth goal of the season.
 
But the highlight of the game—and perhaps the season—came with 19:17 left in the second half. Cazun, moments after making a diving save, got to his feet in the 71st minute, walked to the top of his own 18 and unleashed a booming, line-drive punt that cleared the length of the field and took one high bounce, catching Purchase rookie keeper Mario Olmedo (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) off guard, as it caromed over his head and into the goal for a 3-0 lead. It was the first instance of an NJCU goalkeeper, male or female, ever scoring a goal.  
 
NJCU outshot Purchase, 21-13, including 14-7 in the second half when it protected a 2-0 halftime advantage. NJCU outshot Purchase, 7-6, in the opening 45 minutes. It only put two shots on net in the first half but scored on each of them and led 2-0 at the break. Olmedo finished with five saves in defeat.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• NJCU had a golden opportunity in the sixth minute. De Paula gained possession in his defensive half, dribbled across midfield and slipped a perfect ball on the ground to freshman midfielder Oscar Perez (Passaic, NJ/Passaic Tech), who went in on a 1-on-1 breakaway against Olmedo before missing just wide right.
• In the 15th minute, freshman Andrew Dubron (Centereach, N.Y.) made a long run down the left flank and played a perfect ball across the box but freshman midfielder Brandon Balcaceres (Farmingdale, N.Y.) slipped to the ground on the wet turf. Dubron had a game-high four shots (three on goal).
• Early in the 26th minute NJCU got on the board. De Paula lofted a ball from the right side of midfield ahead to Ansah just outside the penalty arc, on the top of the 18. With the keeper coming out, Ansah allowed the ball to bounce once before flicking a trickling shot into the open net. The goal was Ansah's fourth of the year and De Paula's fifth assist.
• In the 30th minute, De Paula was a one-man wrecking crew, dribbling up the left side of the field, alluding three defenders before slipping a shot on the ground inside the near left post.
• Cazun made five first have saves including a low attempt in the 30th minute by sophomore forward Anthony Guzzone (Shoreham, N.Y.) moments after checking into the game.
• NJCU had two opportunities in a span of 16 seconds in the 49th and 50th minute. First, on a free kick from midfield, rookie center back Joao Fernandez' long ball nearly went in, skipping off the right post. Moments later De Paula missed high from inside the 18.
• With 20 minutes left, Purchase got a break when its defense nearly headed an NJCU corner kick into its own net before Olmedo made a leaping save to knock the ball away before it could settle in the upper right corner.

 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads all-time, 3-0, and has outscored the Panthers, 14-0. Previous meetings were in 2016 on a neutral field (Won, 3-0) and in 1982 in Jersey City (Won, 8-0).

 
UP NEXT:

• The Knights head to Glassboro, N.J. on Saturday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. for a New Jersey Athletic Conference game against Rowan University.
• Senior back Mike Almeida (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) did not play (yellow card accumulation; five yellow cards on season)

 
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