September 17, 2011

ALBUJA STRIKES IN DOUBLE OT AS NJCU IMPROVES TO 7-0-0 WITH 3-2 NJAC TRIUMPH OVER WILLIAM PATERSON

Saturday, September 17, 2011 (Women's Soccer)

 

ALBUJA STRIKES IN DOUBLE OT AS NJCU IMPROVES TO 7-0-0 WITH 3-2 NJAC TRIUMPH OVER WILLIAM PATERSON

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior striker JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) scored a magnificent goal, her second of the game, with 2:48 remaining in double overtime off the second assist of the contest from senior striker JULIA CASERES (Union, NJ/Union) and rookie goalkeeper BRITTANY HOFFMAN (McMurray, PA/Peters Township) made a career-high 11 saves as New Jersey City University defeated William Paterson University, 3-2 in double overtime in the 2011 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.

NJCU improves to 7-0-0—the best start to a season in program history, topping the 2008 club's 6-0-0 open—and 1-0-0 in the NJAC. The Gothic Knights win a season-opening NJAC game for the first time in program history and improve to 3-0-0 in overtime games this year. Meanwhile, NJCU defeated William Paterson (1-2-0, 0-1-0 NJAC) for only the second time in a series the Pioneers lead, 15-2.

The Knights won despite being outshot by WPU, 23-12, including 17-7 in the final three periods. NJCU is 14-1-1 in its last 16 home games since 2009 and 21-3-1 in Jersey City over the last three seasons.

Albuja, who had seven shots (four on goal), notched her ninth and 10^th markers of the season, and the 75^th and 76^th of her career—giving NJCU a 2-1 lead in the 69^th minute before winning at 107:12 of OT—for her 14^th career game-winning goal.

Albuja moved into second place in the history of the NJAC in scoring with 165 points (76 goals, 13 points) in 66 games, passing former Kean University standout Noelle Meeke with 164 points (69 goals, 26 assists, 1995-97).

NJCU is now home to the top two scorers ever in NJAC women's soccer history as Albuja and Caseres have combined for 376 points in their careers. Caseres' two assists gives her 211 career points (86 goals, 39 assists) in 71 games—one behind current U.S. Women's National Team captain Christie Pearce Rampone, who had 212 points in 80 games for Division I Monmouth University from 1993-96—on the all-time scoring charts among men's or women's collegiate Division I, II or III players in the history of New Jersey soccer.

"You have Jennifer Albuja and Julia Caseres, the two most prolific goal scorers I have ever coached," said sixth-year head coach ROBERT BIELAN. "To have them on the same team, syncing up together, playing off each other, is amazing. Jennifer hasn't been using her left foot as much as I wanted her to and it's something we've worked on in training in practice. It's clear she got her comfort level back, because the winner was a decisively strong play. We know she's ready for rest of the season. It was a very proud moment for us and for me personally because I know the kind of player she is. She's a pressure player."

Sophomore center midfielder BRIANNA TAYLOR (Linden, NJ/Linden) scored her fourth goal of the season in the fifth minute to give NJCU a 1-0 lead that would stand up until the 63^rd minute of the second half. Junior midfielder AMANDA SPETHMANN (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights—Wood-Ridge) added her fourth assist of the season for NJCU and rookie midfielder AMANDA FILIPPONE (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley) was credited with her first career assist and first point. Both assists came off throw-ins.

WPU junior forward Michelle Marabondo (Kenvil, NJ/Roxbury) scored both Pioneer goals—her sixth and seventh of the season. Senior forward Sophie Hart-Ruderman (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) and junior midfielder Laela Brock (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) each contributed assists for the Pioneers. Sophomore keeper Alyssa Falduto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) made three saves.

 

NJCU gained a 1-0 lead at the 4:17 mark of the opening period. Taylor won a ball near the midfield circle, dribbled into open space, and unleashed a shot from 35 yards over the backpedaling keeper, burying it into the upper right corner.

Albuja nearly made it 2-0 at the 23:31 mark when she received a pass on the far left wing and unloaded a shot that rang off the right post before being cleared out by the WPU defense. Albuja and Caseres had near breakaways in the 38^th and 39^th minutes before heading to the intermission up by one goal. WPU held a 6-5 edge in shots at halftime.

The Pioneers finally tied the game at the 62:53 mark. Hart-Ruderman dribbled onto the right endline and crossed a ball into the box that Marabondo one-timed home.

NJCU went back on top just 5:08 later. Spethmann made a long throw in from the right sideline into the box that Caseres headed in the goalmouth, over a defender and onto the head of Albuja on the left post, who slipped a header between the legs of a sliding Falduto at 68:01.

NJCU's defense played well but the Pioneers were able to cash in on their pressure at the 79:33 mark. Brock flicked a pass into the box and Marabondo beat Hoffman with a shot inside the left post, tying the game at 2-2. It was her seventh goal of the week, after scoring five times against Centenary College on September 14. She had eight shots overall (five on goal).

Hoffman played brilliantly, stopping eight shots in the second half alone, including two quality chances by Brock in the 83^rd and 84^th minutes, as the clubs went to sudden death, golden-goal overtime.

In overtime, the Pioneers had a 7-2 shots advantage, but only one was on target. The Pioneers' last dangerous look came early in the 104^th minute of double overtime.

Then, the Knights won it early in the 108^th minute on a scintillating goal. Filippone launched a long throw-in from the left sideline, over the Pioneer defense. On the left wing, with her back to the goal, Caseres flicked a side-header into the box where Albuja got a foot on the ball before Falduto could dive on it. Side-stepping the keeper, Albuja knocked a now uncontested left-footed game-winner into the right side netting, setting off a jubilant celebration.

"To play a team like William Paterson was going to be a war, and those types of games are won by doing the extra little things during a match," Bielan said. "We won because we had the heart and believed we could be victorious. We didn't quit and we pushed ourselves that extra bit."

Bielan also discussed the significance of a starting a season at 7-0-0 for the first time. "We played a lot of games outside of the conference and some people thought we were playing weaker teams to pad our record. But some of these non-conference teams were very good. It helped get us ready for today's game, and proves we were building, to get ready for the real thing [the NJAC games]. It proves were coming to play."

NJCU looks to improve to 8-0-0 tomorrow (Sunday, September 18) when the Knights travel to Old Westbury, NY for a 1 p.m. non-conference  game at SUNY-Old Westbury. WPU hosts Montclair State University in an NJAC game on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 p.m.

—www.njcugothicknights.com—

GAME NOTES:

NJCU is 5-9-7 all-time in overtime contests.