NJIT Battles for 2-2 Draw Against St
UNION, NJ—NJIT and Stony Brook battled for a 2-2 double overtime draw Saturday afternoon in men’s soccer non-conference action.
The Kean University East Campus Facility in Union, NJ, will serve as the home venue for both NJIT soccer teams during the upcoming season due to construction of the new Wellness and Events Center on campus in Newark off of Lock Street.
NJIT (3-2-2) scored a goal in each half while Stony Brook (4-2-1), a tough team from the America East Conference, entered the match winners of its last three, used two second-half goals to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit before, drawing even late in regulation to settle for a 2-2 draw.
NJIT got on the board in the 29th minute on a header by freshman Rene White off a beautiful cross from classmate Andy Alvarez for a 1-0 advantage.
Junior Mamadou Guirassy took a direct kick three minutes, following White’s goal from the top of the box, placing the ball in the upper right corner but Stony Brook freshman keeper Gianfranco Barone made a diving save.
Stony Brook had its first opportunity to score in the 37th minute on a header that went wide by senior Eduardo Valle.
The Seawolves evened the match at 1-1 in the 59th minute. Valle received a pass from freshman Macdara Heanue and finished a chip shot over the Highlander keeper into the upper right for his third goal of the season.
Five minutes later, Stony Brook connected on a penalty kick by sophomore Vince Erdei, taking a 2-1 lead.
In the 76th minute, Seawolves Akeem Morris gathered the ball just inside the box and shot to the lower right of the goal but was saved by Victor Pujades and cleared by Phillip Costa.
The Highlanders tied the game at 2-2 in the 81st minute on the first goal of the season by senior Victor Kausch. NJIT freshman Juan Zapata served a free kick from the left side of the field to the back post, to a waiting Kausch, who headed home the free kick.
A minute later, Stony Brook’s junior Thibault Duval took a shot that went off the right post.
Freshman Andrew Nino took the first shot in the first overtime in the 95th minute but Nino’s shot sailed high.
The Highlanders had two chances to open the second overtime. A shot by sophomore Furkan Koku a minute into the second overtime hit the right post and a shot by Zapata went high.
In the 105th minute, a shot by Paulino Marques sailed wide right and the final opportunity for Stony Brook came in the 108th minute by sophomore Serge Gamwanya, who nearly scored the winner, but a diving save by Pujades kept the score knotted at 2-2.
The visitors finished the match with a slight 15-14 edge in shots and 6-4 advantage in shots on goal. NJIT’s Alvarez led the Highlanders with three shots.
NJIT’s Pujades played the full 110 minutes, stopping four Seawolve shots while his counterpart, Barone, making his first career start in goal, finished with two saves in 110 minutes.
NJIT will make the program's first-ever road trip against an ASUN opponent, visiting Jacksonville on September 21. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 at 7pm.
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