Sept. 19, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Drexel senior Aleka Yiantsos became her school's leading career scorer, netting a ninth-minute tally Wednesday night for a 1-0 Drexel win over NJIT in women's soccer on Lubetkin Field.

Yiantsos, who now has 43 career points, including eight this year, drove home a crossing pass out of the right corner from freshman Kim Chiarelli at 8:55. The play featured a quick, on-target pass from Chiarelli and a no-doubt-about finish.

The Dragons, who came out like a boxer looking for a first-round knockout, had the vast majority of their good chances in the early going. Nearly every one of Drexel's six first-half shots were powerful, but Highlander keeper Sadie Mele stopped two of the three that were on goal in the opening 45 minutes.

The Dragons, who extended their shutout streak to three (2-0-1) with the win over NJIT, appeared to had an early edge in speed in the attacking third and the visitors used their physical strength to win the majority of the 50/50 balls all over the field.

However, the Highlanders stood up to the early onslaught and gradually gained more of the play to the point that they found a lot of open field with some exciting attacks in the second half.

Mele, the two-time United Soccer Conference Goalkeeper of the Week, was outstanding again, posting her fourth one-goal defensive game in five starts.

The NJIT back line was also outstanding, with Michelle Borth and Dena Baskous establishing order in the middle and the outside backs breaking up attacks from the wings.

On offense, Erika Taugher had some good runs, several times dribbling around defenders who tried to take her on alone.

The best Highlander chance was early in the second half, as freshman Kori Washington received the ball in the box and got off a 10-yard shot along the ground that caromed off the right post at 52:35.

Overall the shots favored the visitors, 9-2, but the second-half totals were much closer--3-2 for the Dragons.

In goal, Mele finished with three saves for NJIT, while Drexel's Kaitlin Bond notched her third straight shutout without a save. Previously, she blanked Rider in a 0-0 double overtime tie and Manhattan, 1-0.

Before the season, NJIT coach Alyssa Radu said she wanted to use the return games with 2006 opponents as a measuring stick of her program's progress.

NJIT had three previous return games against 2006 opponents. A year ago, Albany beat the Highlanders, 6-1. This year Albany needed overtime for a 2-1 win.

Quinnipiac, a 4-1 winner over NJIT in 2006, and Iona, a 7-0 winner in '06, each had 1-0 wins over the Highlanders in 2007.

Drexel actually offers an even better measure, having been the only Division I foe on the schedule in 2005, NJIT's last year of Division II competition.

NJIT would go on to a school-record eight wins and the program's first postseason bid (ECAC Division II Tournament), but Drexel handed the Highlanders a 6-0 loss to open the 2005 season.

Last year, Drexel beat NJIT, 2-0, but the shots on goal were a lopsided 14-0.

This year, in NJIT's first season as a full championship-eligible member of Division I, the Highlanders more than held their own in the 1-0 defeat.

NJIT will play its next eight matches on the road, starting with the Highlanders' first-ever United Soccer Conference contests on Saturday at Longwood in Farmville, VA.