Nov. 4, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - NJIT women's soccer celebrated Senior Night with a 2-0 win over visiting Saint Peter's Sunday evening on Lubetkin Field.

The Highlanders recognized seven seniors in pre-game ceremonies and one of them -- Erika Taugher scored what proved to the game-winning goal late in the first half.

NJIT added an insurance goal from Emma Vinski with 14:14 remaining in the game. Freshman Kyrsten Howell-Harries assisted on both goals for the Highlanders, who posted a 3-0-1 record in their last four regular season contests.

Taugher's goal raised her career points total to 36--a new record for NJIT women's soccer.The goal was the 13th of her career, tying the NJIT all-time mark for goals and her 10 career assists are also tied for the all-time lead.

Vinski, the speedy NJIT redshirt sophomore, collected her third goal of the season, tying her with freshman Kori Washington for the 2007 lead in that category.

Meanwhile, Sunday's two assists were the first two of the season for Howell-Harries, tying her with Taugher and Kori Washington for the team season lead.

Highlander goalkeeper Sadie Mele made three saves in recording her second shutout of the season. Both shutouts have come in the last nine days. The freshman, who has played every second this season for NJIT, has seven one-goal games to go with her two shutouts.

Even though NJIT had the better of the play nearly all night, Mele had to make two good saves--one in each half--on strong shots by Saint Peter's senior Kyle Marsh.

Before either team scored, Marsh took a 25-yarder that forced Mele to make a diving save midway through the first half. Early in the second half, Marsh made another try with her team down, 1-0. She got off a hard ground shot on a breakaway that Mele deflected and then covered before any harm could be done.

Sunday's game was the second time in three days that NJIT has dominated the ball and the shots, but met up with a strong goalkeeper. Saint Peter's freshman Reanna Gibbs made 10 saves two days after South Carolina State Alechia Brothers made 19 saves in a 1-1 double overtime tie against the Highlanders.

NJIT outshot the visitors, 22-3, overall, including a 12-3 advantage in shots on goal.

The opening minutes of the Saint Peter's game were somewhat reminiscent of Friday's tie vs. South Carolina State in which NJIT took 31 shots, but only found the back of the net once.

A lot of the early Highlander shots came from outside the box and Gibbs, with a clear view, was able to make the saves.

Taugher finally broke the ice when she ran hard down the right wing and took a good through pass from Howell-Harries. Taugher, having beaten the defender by a step, fired the ball into the net at 42:49.

NJIT had three more terrific chances to add a second goal, before Vinski finally did.

Washington was hauled down in the penalty area at 58:37, but her penalty kick attempt was stopped when Gibbs guessed right and dived to her left, deflecting the shot.

About 10 minutes later, Washington dribbled around a would-be defender on the left side and took on Gibbs one-on-one, only to miss wide right on an attempt across the goalmouth.

Soon thereafter, strong-legged freshman Michelle Borth launched a hard shot from 35 yards out that Gibbs managed to save.

Finally, Vinski tacked on the insurance goal for NJIT, scoring on a feed from Howell-Harries at 75:46.

Vinski, who missed all of last season with a knee injury and has worked tirelessly on rehabbing from surgery, has regained much of the explosive speed she showed as a freshman in 2005.

She made numerous strong runs on the right side Sunday, especially in the second half, and one such run was rewarded with the goal.

Howell-Harries sent a pass to Vinski, who controlled it in stride, beat her defender and made no mistake on a shot into the lower right corner of the net.

Once NJIT took the 2-0 lead, it made several more strong bids, but was unable to score a third goal.

The seven Highlander seniors honored in pregame ceremonies were: Dena Baskous, Amanda Bayiokos, Katie Hepfinger, Stephanie Macias, Aine O'Dwyer, Angelica Sepulveda and Erika Taugher. Sunday's match was the 2007 finale for Saint Peter's and it was the last regular season contest for NJIT.

The Highlanders will travel this week to Orem, UT, to compete in the United Soccer Conference postseason tournament. Opening round play will begin on Wednesday at Utah Valley, with the two survivors advancing to meet the top two seeds in the semifinals on Friday, followed by a championship game next Sunday.