WAYNE, N.J. – For the second consecutive season, the New Jersey City University women's soccer team has punched their ticket to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament with a 0-0 draw against William Paterson. The draw gave them one point, bringing the total to 9 on the year, and secured their spot in the tournament.
NJCU (6-4-7, 2-4-3) took 9 shots with eight on target while William Paterson (5-7-7, 1-3-5) was more aggressive offensively with 16 shots, eight on frame. Both netminders, Sophia Mannino (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township) and Sarah Mantilla, were up to the task tonight and tallied eight saves. Offensively, Natalia Jaramillo (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) and Amanda Papamanolis (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) paced the Gothic Knights with two shots each.
The Pioneers were the aggressors early on, pressing NJCU's defense with three early shots in the opening 15 minutes. Once they settled into the game, the Gothic Knights began to find gaps in the Pioneers' defense which led to three shots on goal in five minutes. William Paterson survived the flurry of shots by the Gothic Knights towards the end of the half as both teams went into halftime with the score knotted at zero.
After the break, the Pioneers came out the same way they started the game as they knew they needed three points to make the tournament. Mannino made sure the Pioneers didn't find an early second-half marker as she parried the two early chances away. As the clock continued to dwindle, the Pioneers continued to send waves of attacks at the Gothic Knights' defensive unit, however, they never wavered and dispelled every attack William Paterson sent their way. Jaramillo nearly found the back of the net with two minutes to go but Mantilla was up for the challenge as she made the save to end the game as a scoreless draw.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights will wait until the seeding is released to see where they will travel for the NJAC Quarterfinal round which begins on Saturday, November 2.
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