UNION, NJ—Sophomore Romario Guscott scored 3:28 into the first overtime period to lift visiting, LIU Brooklyn to a 2-1 victory over NJIT Wednesday in men’s soccer non-conference action on the campus of Kean University’s East Campus Facility.

The win for the Blackbirds was the sixth of the season, which gives the Blackbirds the most wins during a non-conference season since going 7-3 in 1992.  NJIT drops its second straight, falling to 4-4-2 on the season.

LIU Brooklyn scored the game-winner at 93:28 on a first touch by Simen Hestnes followed by an advance forward by redshirt junior Naeem Charles to Romario Guscott, who finished to the left of Highlanders diving keeper.

NJIT’s Victor Kausch got things going in the 17^th minute, battling for the ball in the middle of the pitch, playing the ball forward to junior Mamadou Guirassy, who fired a point blank shot from the top of the box into the hands of LIU Brooklyn’s keeper Logan Keys.

LIU Brooklyn scored first in the 19^th minute on a goal by freshman Giuseppe Barone. Blackbirds Barone took advantage of a miscue by the Highlanders keeper, scoring from inside the box, netting his second goal of the season.

Freshman Andrew Nino had a clear shot in the 29^th minute, blasting a shot with his left foot, but a diving save by Keys, kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard.

Thirty-five seconds remaining in the first period, sophomore Furkan Kokcu nearly missed tucking the ball away just underneath the crossbar from 25 yards out but LIU Brooklyn’s Keys elevated to punch it away.

LIU Brooklyn got a last second shot off with 10 seconds before halftime by Romario Guscott’s breakaway down the middle of the field but a sliding block by the Highlander defense kept the score at 1-0 at intermission.

The physical match, which saw the two teams combined for 41 fouls continued into the second half.

The Highlanders had two opportunities in a span of three minutes early in the second period.  The first shot came off the foot of freshman Rene White in the 55^th minute as junior Danny Cordeiro slipped the ball through the Blackbird defense.  Three minutes later, Cordeiro’s shot from the left corner of the box sailed high.

NJIT tied the match in the 64^th minute on the first collegiate goal for freshman Diogo Ferreira, assisted by Zach Halma.  Halma began the play taking the ball down the left sideline and crossed to a, running Ferreira in the middle of the box.  Ferreira settled the ball with his chest and blasted the shot into the far left corner, knotting the match at 1-1.

NJIT’s Kokcu started a give-in-go play with Ferreira in the 77^th minute and nearly finished but a diving save by Keys, kept the match tied at 1-1.

In the 88^th minute, NJIT’s Nino setup classmate Rene White for a 1-on-1 but Keys cradled his sixth save, keeping the match deadlock at 1-1 at the end of regulation.

NJIT will return to action on Saturday at 2pm when the Highlanders host ASUN Conference opponent Stetson on the campus of Kean University’s East Campus Facility.

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