Sept. 14, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Long Island University's Josh Merchant scored the game-winning goal just 12 seconds after NJIT had tied the game and the visiting Blackbirds came away with a 2-1 men's soccer win Friday afternoon on Lubetkin field.

Merchant, who scored both LIU goals, took a pass from Josh Alarcon and chipped a floater behind NJIT goalkeeper Josh Osit at 78:36 for what proved to be the deciding goal.

The game-winner came just seconds after Erik Magnusson had headed the ball inside the left post for the Highlanders off a crossing pass from Gustav Warfving at 78:24.

Up until the late flurry, which also included a missed penalty kick by NJIT in the 82nd minute, the only scoring of the match was Merchant's goal at 19:21 off an assist by Mohammed Mashriqi.

The two goals for LIU's Merchant were remarkably similar, as both were soft touch shots that nestled into the back of the net from straight on and about 15 yards out.

NJIT's Osit made five saves along with allowing the two goals and LIU's senior keeper Alex Fatovic stopped four Highlander shots. The overall shot totals favored LIU, 14-9, but the shots on goal were closer--7-5 for the Blackbirds.

Magnusson and Warfving, two sophomores who hail from the same part of Sweden and are college roommates, have accounted for all of NJIT's scoring through the first four games.

Magnusson, who was Offensive MVP of last weekend's tournament in San Diego and is the reigning Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Week, has three of the Highlanders' four goals, plus an assist. Warfving has assisted on two of his roommate's goals and scored a goal himself, for four points. Magnusson assisted Warfving's goal.

NJIT had three excellent chances--two after LIU had gone ahead--in the entertaining first half. Warfving's shot from 15 yards just missed the upper left corner at 15:50. Less than 15 minutes later, the Highlanders were unfortunate two more times. Magnusson's header off a feed from Warfving went over the top in the 29th minute and Magnusson's pass in the 30th minute was broken up by LIU's Fatovic just before Frank Carr could finish for NJIT.

Nursing a 1-0 lead, the Blackbirds made a strong bid in the 51st minute, as Alarcon's hard shot was deflected over the crossbar by Osit. Two minutes later, Fatovic made his best save, denying Magnusson's close try off a corner kick by Warfving.

The Swedish duo came close again in the 65th minute on a corner kick by Warfving that found Magnusson open near the goal, but he fired wide left.

NJIT's pressure finally paid off with the Magnusson equalizer in the 79th minutes, creating the short-lived 12-second tie.

LIU's quick response had to be discrouraging, but the Highlanders regrouped and got two fine opportunities in the last nine minutes.

At 81:55, NJIT was awarded a penalty kick after LIU fouled Kevin Blanco in the penalty area. Robert Herrera, who was 2-for-2 on pk's last season, shot wide left on his first try of 2007.

Finally, with just over three minutes left, freshman Pat Amato controlled the ball near the top of the box, gathered himself quickly for a strong shot that went wide.

"We're close, but we're not there yet," said NJIT coach Pedro Lopes. "We have to play at a high level for the whole 90 minutes and we're getting that from some, but not others and those momentary lapses are hurting us. In past years, we had more of those lapses, but the ones we've had this year are hurting us.

"(LIU's) two goals were the result of hard work by their forwards. Our forwards worked hard, too, but we're not getting the breaks we need. Hard work is what is going to get that for us."

In addition to Magnusson and Warfving up front, Lopes credited Scott Rietze and Devon Newton with strong play in the back.

NJIT's next match is a short road trip about seven miles to the east in Jersey City, where the Highlanders will visit Saint Peter's for a match Tuesday at 4 pm.