Sept. 2, 2007

Box Score

BROOKLYN, NY - Long Island University senior Caley Troutman converted a penalty kick at 56:55 for the only goal Sunday, as her team, the defending Northeast Conference women's soccer champions, nipped New Jersey Institute of Technology, 1-0.

The victory on LIU's downtown Brooklyn campus evened the Blackbirds' season record at 1-1. NJIT was playing its first match of the 2007 season.

The decisive penalty kick was awarded when LIU's Kim Bishop was taken down on a foul by the Highlander defense in the penalty area.

Leading, 1-0, LIU's bid to double its lead was thwarted when NJIT freshman goalkeeper Sadie Mele turned away a point-blank shot by the Blackbirds Eleri Earnshaw about two minutes after the penalty kick goal.

Another dangerous LIU shot sailed wide in the 74th minute, setting the stage for the Highlanders' strongest chance to knot the score.

With just under nine minutes to play, the Highlanders had three shots at the open net when LIU keeper Felicia Amaral was caught out of position after a set piece. However, the Highlanders could not produce a goal out of the scramble.

Mele, the NJIT freshman who was an all-state high school player in New Mexico, made a strong college debut, stopping eight shots and being beaten only on the penalty kick. Amaral made one save to record the shutout in the LIU goal.

LIU enjoyed a 14-4 overall advantage in shots and the corner kicks favored the Blackbirds, 5-2.

The 2007 season opener was a difficult assignment for the Highlanders, who are NCAA Division I championship-eligible this season for the first time. NJIT, which faced a Division I schedule for the first time in 2006, started six freshmen and eight of the 16 players who appeared for the Highlanders were playing their first college game on Sunday.

LIU, on the other hand, had 14 players, including six starters, back from a team that was 13-8-1 overall and 8-1, good for first place in the Northeast Conference last year. The Blackbirds, who played in the first round of the 2006 Division I Women's College Cup field, had lost their 2007 season opener to powerful Rutgers on Friday.

The Highlanders are scheduled to host Albany on Friday at 7 pm. The contest on Lubetkin Field will be the home opener for NJIT women's soccer.