ALFRED, N.Y. — The New Jersey City University men's soccer team continued its unbeaten streak to start the 2021 season following a 0-0 double-overtime tie with D'Youville College on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12. The Gothic Knights and Spartans faced off in the Bryan Karl Tournament Championship match, hosted by Alfred University. So, in need of a tournament champion, the teams took to penalty kicks after 110 minutes of play to decide who would be crowned — although the game goes into the books as a tie officially for both squads.
Shots on goal were even for the two squads at four apiece, although NJCU (5-0-1) held the 24-11 edge in total shots over D'Youville (4-0-1). The first on-target attempt came from the Spartans, but senior goalkeeper
Nick Linebaugh (Linden, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) was able to turn it away in the sixth minute. D'Youville was then called for the game's first yellow card — there were five total — and sophomore
Thiago Duarte's (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) free kick was sent on net but stopped by the opposition's netminder. Those were the only two shots on goal in the first half, though NUCU evened up the yellow card tally in the 38th with a call against sophomore
Anthony Salmeron (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen).
The second half was a bit more exciting as each team attempted three shots on goal apiece, however neither squad was able to convert once again. Linebaugh started it off with a save in the 49th. Then in the 54th, sophomore
Thiago Duarte (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) was stopped on his attempt. Immediately on the other end, Linebaugh was forced to send another one away in the 55th. Duarte had another opportunity in the 65th, but no dice once again. Linebaugh again stopped another Spartan attempt in the 77th to keep it scoreless.
There were two more yellows in the remaining 13 minutes, sandwiched around another scoring opportunity for NJCU, this time from sophomore
Jorkaef Fallas (North Bergen, N.J./Hudson Catholic). Everything remained scoreless and the squads headed off to overtime. Neither team managed a single shot on goal, however, in either extra period and the game went into the books as a tie.
Penalties came next in order to decide the Bryan Karl Tournament Champion. Both teams scored on their first two attempts, with senior
Nelson Segovia (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) and Fallas converting successfully for NJCU, and it was knotted up at 2-2. Then, Linebaugh dug in and made the stop on D'Youville's third attempt to keep it at 2-2 before yesterday's hero — freshman
Jaime Bimboza (Jersey City, N.J./William L. Dickinson) — put the Gothic Knights up 3-2. Linebaugh then stopped the next Spartan attempt, giving freshman
Julio Mauricio (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) a chance to clinch it. And clinch he did, beating the D'Youville keeper and locking up the title for Jersey City.
Highlights:
- Linebaugh recorded his second-career shutout with four saves on the day.
- Duarte tied for the game high with three shots on goal.
- Seven Gothic Knights played the full 110:00.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Monday night, Sept. 20, at 7:30 p.m. when they play under the lights at Caven Point Field against John Jay College. Follow all the action live on
GothicVision.
