JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior midfielder Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) further cemented her place among the all-time greats in New Jersey City University women's soccer history, scoring twice in the first 17 minutes of the game to reach the 100-career point plateau before chalking up a hat trick in the first 41 minutes as the Gothic Knights defeated the College of Mount Saint Vincent, 5-2, in non-conference action on September 10 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.
 
Vargas had a foot in all four first half goals, producing seven points on the day—three goals and one assist—as the Gothic Knights led 4-0 at the half before resting many of its starters in the second half.  For Vargas, it was her seventh career hat trick and 11th career game with at least two goals. She had four shots, putting three on target.
 
Vargas, a three-time All-New Jersey Athletic Conference standout, joined all-time greats Jennifer Albuja (203 points/91 goals; 2007-08, 2010-11) and the late Julia Caseres (189 points/78 goals, 2009-11) on the century-points lists, scoring her third, fourth and fifth goals this season and 43rd, 44th and 45th career tallies.
 
With the win, NJCU evens its record at 2-2-0 on the season while handing CMSV (2-1-1) its first defeat of the season. NJCU outshot the Dolphins 11-2 in the first half. NJCU still had a 17-15 final shots margin in the win despite CMSV tallying 13 shots in the second half against the home reserves.
 
Sophomore midfielder Jhetsy Lopez (Fairview, NJ/Cliffside Park) and freshman midfielder Lynne Dominguez (New Brunswick, NJ/New Brunswick) were responsible for NJCU's other two goals while freshman back Nicole Kelly (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) had one assist. Dominguez finished with the first three points of her collegiate career, assisting on the first goal of the game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Vargas scored her 98th career point in the 11th minute. Dominguez unleashed a long throw-in over the head of Vargas along the right sideline, allowing the playmaker to run onto the ball, take one touch before ripping a shot into the near bottom right side of the net. 
 
After a hard foul in the box, NJCU was awarded a penalty kick and Vargas calmly stepped to the mark and drilled a shot into the far left bottom, just 16:17 into the contest to reach the 100-point milestone.
 
Lopez scored to make it 3-0 in the 31st minute for her second tally of the season—assisted  by Vargas—as NJCU built a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime. Vargas did her best playmaking on the tally, creating space in the box before passing to Lopez, who beat the opposing keeper into the upper left.
 
Vargas completely produced the fourth goal, winning possession late in the 41st minute before dribbling left across the six and ripping a shot into the bottom right.
 
Less than three minutes into the second half, NJCU pushed the lead to 5-0 as Dominguez was on the receiving end of a ball played from the right blank from Kelly, one-touching a shot into the right side of the net.
 
The Dolphins broke up the shutout in the 71st minute as freshman forward Lilli Marin (Patchogue, N.Y.) collected a loose ball in the box after  failed clear and knocked it into the far left side for the first tally of her career. Senior back Paulina Mandujano (Norwalk, Conn.) added a second goal on a free kick from a difficult angle, tucking a shot from outside the box on the left sideline into the near upper corner with 91 seconds remaining. It was her first goal of the season.
 
Both goalkeepers—sophomore Cidney Lee-Sam (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) for NJCU and freshman Kora-Lynn McCullough for the Dolphins—had six saves. 
 
OF NOTE: 

• Series: 10th meeting. NJCU leads, 9-1, and has won the last four meetings. NJCU is 6-0 all-time at home. The Knights have outscored CMSV, 53-10

 
UP NEXT: 

• NJCU plays its second game in as many days on Wednesday, September 11 when it visits Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. Kickoff is 7:00 PM.

 
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