JERSEY CITY, N.J. — In a strong showing for the New Jersey City University women's soccer team during the program's season opener for its abbreviated 2020-21 season, the Gothic Knights fell to a highly-touted Montclair State University squad 2-1 in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play at home on Saturday afternoon, March 13, at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

NJCU (0-1, 0-1 NJAC) stood behind a strong performance from junior keeper Cidney Lee-Sam (Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge) as the netminder made four saves to her Montclair State (1-0-1, 1-0-1 NJAC) counterpart Pheobe Bledsoe's one midway through the first half before rookie forward Kim Brites (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) was the first to break through for either squad. Fellow freshman Krysti Alejandro (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) took a corner in the 23rd minute from the near side and Brites was able to get all of it with a header attempt right in front and found the bottom left of the Red Hawks' net to make it 1-0.

The Gothic Knights held that lead for nearly 15 minutes before Montclair State was able to tie it up. Lee-Sam made a great save on the first attempt by Montclair State in the 39th minute, but a clear attempt on the rebound found the foot of Samantha Gabriele of the Red Hawks who fired it into the back of the net to make it 1-1. That's how the score would remain into the end of the first 45:00. The game's final goal came in just the 50th minute when Kaitlyn Scrivanich of MSU lifted the ball over the Gothic Knights' back line to find Aileen Cahill, who was able to put it past Lee-Sam.

The junior backstop for NJCU made four more saves in the remainder of the match to keep it a one goal contest and finished the day with nine stops on 11 on-target Red Hawk attempts.

What's Next:
Lee-Sam, Brites and the rest of the Gothic Knights return to the pitch this Wednesday night, March 17, at 7:00 p.m. on the road at Rutgers-Camden in Camden, N.J.