JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University women's soccer team has made it 18 goals and two shutouts over its last two games played after the Gothic Knights dismantled Centenary University on the friendly confines of Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex this afternoon, Tuesday, Sept. 24, by a final of 8-0. Junior forward
Ari Flores-Ortiz (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) notched the first hat trick of her career, while fifth-year forward
Kim Brites (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) tallied the ninth multi-goal performance of her time with the Green and Gold.
NJCU (4-0-3) now boasts an unbeaten record as the squad prepares for the start of New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play this weekend after today's wide-gap defeat of Centenary (2-6). Now, for the first time since 2011 when the Gothic Knights started off 9-0, the program has not suffered a loss to this point (seven games) in the season. That year was the last time — prior to 2023's historic finish — that NJCU competed in the six-team NJAC Tournament, finishing as quarterfinalists and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship semifinalists.
Today started out quietly, however, as NJCU landed just one shot on goal over the first 21-plus minutes. Brites, though, broke through the scoreless tie late in the 22nd with her first of two tallies on the day. Rookie midfielder
Sarah Reyes (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) lifted a pass over the Cyclones' back line and Brites sent a shot from the right side to the lower-left third to make it 1-0. Then, in the 29th, freshman midfielder
Gabriella Cardona (Elizabeth, N.J./Alexander Hamilton) struck pay-dirt as she just snuck one in to the lower left off a pass from junior back
Jess Digristina (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) to push the score to 2-0. Finally, in the 42nd, junior midfielder
Gineth Arias Martinez (Soacha Cundinamarca, Colombia/Institución Educativa Leon XII) made it 3-0. She took the corner on the near side, but the ball was immediately deflected back to her. With nothing but space, she dribbled into the box and ripped a left-footer to the left side for her second goal as a Gothic Knight.
Brites kicked off the second half as she jumped all over Digristina's rebound in front to make it 4-0 in the 49th. A familiar occurrence happened once again for NJCU in the 61st as Reyes sent a corner in from the far side and, after it rattled around in front, fifth-year midfielder
Samantha Szymanski (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) made it 5-0 with yet another goal off a corner opportunity — her second tally of the year, both in corner situations. Flores-Ortiz then began her late-game dominance with her first score of the afternoon in the 77th. Cardona sent a through ball down the right side and Flores-Ortiz juked out the keeper to score on the open net, making it 6-0. Early in the 79th, she did it again, this time off a nice feed from freshman midfielder
Sarah Alvarez (Lyndhurst, N.J./Newark East Side), to make it 7-0. Finally, with just seconds remaining, Alvarez sent a set piece in front and Flores-Ortiz headed into the back of the net for the final of 8-0.
Highlights:
- NJCU outshot Centenary 15-1 in on-target attempts and 39-4 overall.
- Martinez now has two goals in her last three games and five points in her last four.
- Brites now has a team-high 17 points on the season and leads the squad there, as well as goals (7). For her career, she has 35 goals and 80 points, which puts her fourth and in a tie for fifth in the all-time rankings, respectively.
- Cardona and Flores-Ortiz are both tied for second on the team with 12 points apiece, each with five goals and two assists.
Up Next:
As mentioned, the Gothic Knights return to action for the start of NJAC play. NJCU will host #RV Montclair State University on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 28, for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff on McNulty Field.
