September 6, 2005

NEWARK, NJ - New Jersey Institute of Technology and visiting Stony Brook played to a scoreless double overtime tie in non-conference men's college soccer Tuesday night.

The tie is the first at the NCAA Division I level for NJIT, which is 0-1-1 in its first season as a championship eligible squad at the college game's highest level.

"We have to thank the hard work of our players in getting to this point," said Highlanders coach Pedro Lopes, whose young squad has a hard-fought 3-2 double overtime loss at defending America East Conference champ Boston University and now the scoreless tie against a strong Stony Brook team.

Stony Brook, with seven starters and 16 letterwinners back from last year's 11-6-3 team that finished fourth in the America East Conference, is also 0-1-1 in 2005.

NJIT sophomore goalkeeper Collin Cunning (Belfast, Maine/Belfast Area HS) made nine saves in recording the double overtime shutout. Stony Brook keeper EJ Xikis stopped three shots.

The visitors had a 22-9 advantage in shots overall, but NJIT got most of its chances as the game progressed, taking eight of its nine shots after halftime. Perhaps most telling was the fact that each team's goalkeeper had to make three saves over the final 65 minutes.

Freshman Scott Rietze (Brownsville, Ont./Courtice Secondary) fired a second-half shot off the goal post for NJIT's best chance in regulation and both teams had opportunities in the second overtime.

With under seven minutes left in the second overtime, the counterattacking Highlanders made a push that resulted in a powerful shot by freshman Greg Spaulding (Amherst, NH/Souhegan HS) that went just wide.

Stony Brook was applying heavy pressure in the final minute, when Chris Megaloudis, an all-region and all-conference selection in 2004, got off a strong shot from 15 yards out that was deflected and cleared to the sideline by the alert NJIT defense.

Among the more encouraging aspects to Tuesday's game was the fact that NJIT played some of its best soccer late in the match. "Our guys have done a great job going at full speed in practice and fitness will be there with hard work and effort," said Lopes.

While lack of experience poses problems in some areas, Lopes noted that youth also has its advantages. "Young teams make mistakes," said the coach, who started seven freshmen on Tuesday. "But one of the beauties of young teams is that they believe in their talent and they play with no fear. We've seen that against two very good teams (Boston University and Stony Brook)."

NJIT's next match is on Saturday, September 11, at 3 pm, when it takes on Manhattan in a tournament hosted by Monmouth in West Long Branch, NJ.