September 28, 2005

NEWARK, NJ - Alex Harrison scored once in each half, leading Central Connecticut to a 3-2 win over New Jersey Institute of Technology in a non-conference men's soccer game Wednesday night at Lubetkin Field.

Central (3-1-2) was aggressive from the outset, jumping on the Highlanders for two goals in the first 26 minutes. By game's end, however, it was NJIT forcing the action and feeling disappointed in its strong, but ultimately futile, bid to pull even.

The Blue Devils, a team with good size and skill, applied heavy pressure early, getting off some strong shots and the visitors got on the board first, when Harrison scored at 14:19, assisted by Facundo Talin.

Like a fighter looking for an early knockout, Central Connecticut continued to carry the play and took a 2-0 lead in the 26th minute, when David Tyrie headed in a goal off a corner kick by Jorden Holder.

Down, 2-0, and having been unable to answer CCSU's pressure for most of the half, NJIT again showed the perseverance that has marked its play in 2005.

Instead of folding, the Highlanders fought back with a goal, as junior Sean Pyne scored at 30:17, assisted by Eddie Romero. Apparently galvanized, NJIT settled down and, as has been its habit, gained more of the play over the rest of the half.

Leading 2-1 at halftime, Central Connecticut stretched its advantage back to two goals, at 3-1, when Harrison converted a penalty kick in the 60th minute. The penalty kick was awarded when Harrison was pulled down on a foul in front of the goal.

The Highlanders pulled back within a goal of the lead at 69:36, when Greg Spaulding scored on a rebound. Scott Rietze, assisted, sending a direct free kick into the goal area, where Blue Devil keeper John Ciano deflected the ball, but left it free for Spaulding to bang in the goal, the tall freshman's second of the year.

Much as they had after scoring in the first half, the Highlanders appeared to be sparked by their second-half goal and they barely missed tying the game in the closing minutes, when Eddie Romero's hard drive went inches wide of the far post.

"It was tough to lose," said NJIT coach Pedro Lopes. "At the same time, I'm proud that we kept competing and really had some chances to tie or win over the last 15-20 minutes.

"It's disappointing that we let them get ahead, 2-0. And then we created a lot of chances to score, but couldn't get the goal we needed. It's really a matter of how you look at things. You're disappointed that we didn't play better early, but proud that we stayed in there working. Then, you're disappointed that we couldn't score late, but you have to be encouraged that we were creating so many chances. It's something we weren't doing earlier, so it's a sign of progress for a team that really has only been playing together for about a month."

The Highlanders, who tied their first Atlantic Soccer Conference game of the season last Saturday vs. Philadelphia University, will resume ASC play this Saturday in Washington, DC, at Howard University.