ALLENTOWN, Pa. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Barely 24 hours after becoming just the third New Jersey City University women's soccer player to reach 100 points, senior midfielder Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) began taking aim at her next 100, scoring a career-high four goals and adding an assist to contribute to every one of NJCU's goals with an incredible nine points to ignite the Gothic Knights' 5-2 victory over Cedar Crest College (3-2) on September 11 at the FalconPlex. With the victory, the Knights move back over .500 at 3-2-0 after dropping their first two games of the season. All four goals she scored were unassisted.
 
Vargas notched her eighth career hat trick—and second in just over 24 hours—and 12th career games with at least two goals. Meanwhile, Vargas has now produced 20 points in just four games this season (nine goals, two assists), all coming in her last three games, including 16 points over the last two games. She is now one goal shy of 50 for her career, chalking up 112 career points on 49 goals and 14 assists.
 
"Mallensy is giving 100 percent, and, with her leadership and dedication, she is definitely helping the team," fourth-year head coach Anthony Tuesta said. "All the goals she scored for us tonight were amazing."
 
The senior captain got things started in the 22nd minute, with an unassisted tally, what was her sixth goal of the young season already. However, the Falcons had a response for the Knights, evening things up just after the break, as Kara Brownlie (Southampton, Pa.) set up Adrianna Tennis (Pine Grove, Pa.) to even things at 1-1 at the 46:01 mark.
 
Naturally, Vargas had an immediate answer, once again taking things into her own hands right off the restart, putting NJCU back up 2-1 in the 48th minute—just 1:26 later.  Not to be outdone, Tennis this time set up teammate Daria Warner (Harrisburg, Pa.) just six minutes later to even things up at 2-2.
 
The Falcons, however, would have no answer for Vargas, who put away a penalty kick in the 60th minute to put a cap on a hectic first 15 minutes of the second half, a stretch in which a combined four goals were scored by the two teams. It proved to be Vargas' 10th career game-winning goal.
 
Already with the 3-2 lead, the Knights tacked on two more late in the game, with Vargas scoring her career-high fourth in the 77th minute and then setting up attacking left back Laura Ford (Leonia, NJ/Leonia) for the final goal just two minutes later. It was the second assist of the season for Vargas, and the third goal of the season for the sophomore, Ford, who now ranks second on the team in goals scored (3).
 
"The most important thing is that we are improving as a team," Tuesta noted. "We made mistakes as a team, but we managed to fight until the end and got the win. This an important win for us."
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Cidney Lee-Sam (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) made six saves to preserve the win for NJCU. Lauren Makely had four stops for CCC.
 
OF NOTE: 

• Series: This was the fifth meeting. NJCU now leads all-time 4-0-1, winning the last four.
• The nine points for Vargas (four goals and an assist) were the most for an NJCU player since Julia Caseres tallied 10 against Philadelphia Biblical nearly 10 years ago to the day (9/12/2009).
• NJCU outshot Cedar Crest, 16-11.
• Vargas finished the game with 10 shots (six on goal). It was the fifth time in her career she has had 10+ shots in a game.

 
UP NEXT: 

• NJCU plays another road game, traveling back to Pennsylvania to take on Penn State Brandywine (0-4) on Saturday, September 14 at 1:00 p.m.

 
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