JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's soccer squad opened up New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play for the 2023 season at home on Friday afternoon, Sept. 22, against #5-ranked Montclair State University. It was a day of lopsided cards and emotional, hard-fought play for the Gothic Knights and Red Hawks, which ultimately saw the visitors come out on top, 4-1, on Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.

Things got emotional quickly for NJCU (4-2, 0-1 NJAC) as senior co-captain forward Maximo Vargas (Montevideo, Uruguay/The British Schools) was called for a yellow in the 11th minute. Shortly thereafter in the 24th, fellow senior co-captain forward Jorkaef Fallas (North Bergen, N.J./Hudson Catholic) saw his day come to an end after a collision with the Montclair (7-0-1, 1-0 NJAC) goalkeeper earned the Gothic Knight a red card. An emotional sideline earned a yellow for their troubles, as well. NJCU was called for three more yellows in the remainder of the first half, but was mostly able to keep a lid on the Red Hawks, despite now only fielding 10 men.

The game's first goal came in a three-on-one opportunity for Montclair in the 44th, which resulted in just the third shot on goal of the day for the visitors. Then, with 30 seconds left, sophomore back Jonathan Caballero's (Union City, N.J./Jose Marti STEM Academy) free kick in the offensive zone was headed wide, but a Red Hawk defender got a piece of it, resulting in a corner with only six seconds on the clock. Scrambling, sophomore forward Kevin Alves (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) just tapped the corner directly to senior back Jayson Argueta (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) right in front of him. Argueta sent a cross to the near post and senior back Anthony Salmeron (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) got a head on it as time expired to even it up at 1-1. The Gothic Knights then ran into their lockerroom for the halftime break.



The second half, however, saw the tide turn toward the Red Hawks, in large part thanks to a controversial foul call inside the box against NJCU on a Montclair corner in the 58th, which resulted in a successful penalty goal to make it 2-1 in favor of the visitors. Minutes later, the Gothic Knights were called for another yellow in the 63rd before eventually getting their on-field players cut by another man, down to nine, after freshman forward Emmanuel Atorkui's (Union, N.J./Northstar Academy) day came to a close in the 65th when he was called for a red.

What proceeded was two more Montclair goals and two more NJCU yellow cards before the final horn sounded.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights look to shake this one off as they take on #21-ranked Rowan University on Wednesday night, Sept. 27, on the road in Glassboro, N.J. NJCU topped the Profs, 6-0, on McNulty Field back on Sept. 28, 2022, thanks in part to a hat trick for Vargas. The Gothic Knights, however, will not have the services of Fallas or Atorkui on Wednedsay, due to their red cards today.