Box Score 

RIVERDALE, NY—Erik Magnusson set an NJIT Division I record with three assists, as he set up three different goal scorers in the Highlanders' 3-2 win over Manhattan Saturday night at Gaelic Park.

 

Magnusson, a junior captain, broke the existing record of two assists, which was set by Dylan Broadley against Boston University in 2005. NJIT is in its fifth year of Division I competition in men's soccer. The overall school record is five, set in 1964 against Stevens by small college all-America, United States Olympic team player and NJIT/NCE Hall of Famer Myron Worobec.

 

Magnusson assisted on goals by senior Kayo Emojong (29th minute), senior Eddie Romero (66th minute) and junior Osvaldo Perez (71st minute) as the Highlanders recorded their first win of 2008

 

Manhattan's Thomas Bandov scored twice in the final 8:03 to add some tension to the finish, but NJIT came away with the win, lifting its record to 1-3. Bandov, a sophomore, is the son of Boris Bandov, who played for the renowned Cosmos in the 1970's, where he was a teammate of NJIT Hall of Famer Chico Borja.

 

Manhattan is also 1-3, having lost to Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson (in overtime), before beating Army in the game prior to Saturday's loss vs. NJIT.

NJIT senior Ryan Sutherland was victorious in his first action in goal since 2005, when he played in six games for the Highlanders. An architecture major, he redshirted in 2006 and 2007. His win Saturday recalled NJIT's first-ever win at the Division I level when Sutherland backstopped the Highlanders in a 2-0 victory vs. Manhattan on September 10, 2005.

 

Manhattan used two goalkeepers. Randall Brobson started and played into the 79th minute, allowing all three NJIT goals and making four saves. Joseph Lorenz played the last 11:31 and did not make a save or allow a goal.

 

NJIT had a 15-13 edge in overall shots and a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. The corner kicks favored the Highlanders, 7-6.

 

“We played very well,” said NJIT coach Pedro Lopes. “Our midfield controlled the ball and we played quickly. We deserved the 3-0 lead and then our guys relaxed a little bit toward the end. But you have to give Manhattan credit. They kept pushing and pushing and deserved their two goals.”

 

NJIT got on the board at 28:01, when Magnusson found the tireless Emojong, who juked a defender and put the ball past Brobson, the Jasper goalkeeper.

 

It was the first goal of the season for the Highlanders, who had threatened to score, but didn't in their first three games. “Scoring that first goal relaxed our team and allowed them to play with confidence,” said Lopes. “Kayo was all over the place, stopping their attacks and starting our attacks and he was finally rewarded with the goal.”

 

The score stood at 1-0 well into the second half, before Magnusson connected with Romero for another NJIT goal at 65:44. Magnusson served the ball to Romero, who finished into the right corner after cutting through the box.

 

The goal, which added to Romero's school Division I career record, was his ninth for NJIT, but his first as a Highlander since 2005. The senior played two years for NJIT, played for Temple in 2006 and then returned to NJIT in 2007, when he had to sit out from competition under NCAA transfer rules.

 

“It was a matter of possession and movement and a great finish by Eddie,” said Lopes.

 

Osvaldo Perez, the stylish junior midfielder, scored NJIT's third goal, a tally that increased in importance as the game progressed and Manhattan and Bandov made their  late charge.

 

Perez fired a one-touch shot inside the right post at 70:22 off of Magnusson's pass to the left, giving NJIT a 3-0 edge.

 

“We've been working on getting numbers in the box and numbers going forward and tonight we had that,” Lopes commented. “That was the case again on the third goal, where Erik (Magnusson) did a good job holding the ball and waiting for his support and Osvaldo came up and took the pass and scored.”

 

Manhattan's Bandov scored at 81:57 and again at 84:45 to fuel a comeback that ultimately came up short.

 

NJIT, which plays its first nine matches against teams from either the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference or the Northeast Conference, returns to action on Tuesday, when it visits Long Island University of the NEC for 7 pm match.

 

The Highlanders defeated Manhattan of the MAAC after losing to Siena and Saint Peter's of the same conference. NJIT also lost to Quinnipiac of the NEC.