JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com)  | The 2019 New Jersey City University men's soccer team tied the 2016 club's school record for most consecutive wins to start a season in the 61-year history of the program with a 7-0-0 ledger as the Gothic Knights scored four times in the second half to upend Medgar Evers College, 4-0, in non-conference action on September 14 at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field. 
 
NJCU outshot Medgar Evers, 38-7, and after owning a 14-2 edge in shots in the first half only to go into the break scoreless, unleashed 24 shots in the second 45 minutes as four different Gothic Knights scored. The 2016 also started the year 7-0-0 before suffering its first setback. The 1966 was 6-0-0.
 
"The guys have taken care of business on game day so we have been happy with the results so far," said fourth-year head coach Joe Cullen. "Every game has and will continue to get tougher and tougher though. They are aware of that and need to take away lessons from each game that we play. 7-0-0 is  a great start but the hardest part of this year is still ahead of us and those games will really test who we are as a group. We're excited with where we are at but understand how much is still in front of us and how much more work is to be done."
 
Senior midfielder Joe Burgos (Hackensack, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep), the NCAA Division III National Player of the Week, bagged his seventh goal of the season in the 64th minute for what ultimately was his second game-winner of the year before senior midfielder Edgar Crespo (Newark, NJ/Science Park) followed with an insurance tally—his third strike of the season—in the 74th frame. 
 
Senior midfielder Koshane Marshall (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) and sophomore mid Samuel Ansah (East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech) each scored in the final 10 minutes to double the score. Rookie center back Joao Fernandes (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), freshman midfielder Kevin Alvarez (Bayonne, NJ/M.E.T.S. Charter) and senior back Ron Jones (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) all chalked up assists.
 
Junior goalkeeper Aldahir Cazun (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) notched this third solo shutout this year and NJCU's fourth clean sheet as a team, making three saves. MEC sophomore keeper Carl-Henry Obeissant (Jeremy, Haiti) had a busy day, stopping 14 shots. NJCU had an 18-3 differential in shots on goal.
 
NJCU's defensive back four of Fernandes and junior Nelson Segovia (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) in the center with Jones and sophomore Eduin Hernandez on the outside, continued to lock down opposing offensive fronts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• NJCU dominated the first half, outshooting the Cougars, 14-2, but could not beat Obeissant, who made four saves in the first 45 minutes.
• In the 15th minute, senior back Ryan Farrell (South River, NJ/South River)'s header off a corner kick by Burgos was saved in the upper left 90.
• In the 36th minute, sophomore center midfielder Orlando Alcantara narrowly missed on an 18-yard rocket.
• NJCU had two big opportunities on back-to-back shots in the 42nd minute. Rookie midfielder Oscar Perez (Passaic, NJ/Passaic Tech), who had not played since August 31 when he sustained an injury and Alcantara, each had shots blocked inside

  

  the 18.
• At the start of the 45th minute, Farrell again had a header off a corner—from Alcantara—grabbed just under the crossbar.  
• Medgar had its best opportunity in the 49th minute as freshman mid Sebastian Arias (Lima, Peru) from the far close left flank was blocked wide. Moments later a shot lobbed on goal by senior forward Darrell Ambersley (Portmore, Jamaica) was grabbed by Cazun near the upper right corner.
• Burgos had a good chance in the 54th minute, hitting a low line drive that forced a kick save by Obeissant.
• In the 56th minute, Marshall gained possession in the box, turned, and fired a shot from 12 yards into the side of the net.
• NJCU finally got on the board in the 63rd minute. On a restart, Fernandes bombed a long pass from deep in his own defensive zone right onto the opposing 18. Burgos ran onto the ball, which took two bounces before he knocked a low shot from the right post into the middle of the goal.
• Crespo got his third goal of the season in the 74th minute, pouncing on the rebound of a shot by Alvarez, tucking the loose ball inside the six into the net. The assist was the second of the year for Alvarez.
• NJCU added insurance in the 81st minute, as Jones used fancy footwork on the near left endline to create space, sending a ball across the six to Marshall, who banged a shot in off of the crossbar for this third goal of the year, giving Jones his second assist.
• NJCU was awarded two penalty kicks in less than four minutes as Ansah was twice taken down in the box. His first attempt at the 81:57 mark was saved over the endline as Obeissant made a magnificent two-handed diving stop towards the far post. Ansah was again taken down at the 85:12 mark and this time slipped one past Obeissant, who got his hands on the ball, into the far right side.

 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads, 14-1 (78-9 goal differential). 

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU looks to break the single-season record for best start to a year if it can get past the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Monday, September 16 at the McNulty Field. Watch live on #GothicVision or on Live Stats.

 
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