Box score

NEWARK, NJ—A penalty kick goal by Gustav Warfving in the 40th minute provided all the scoring for either team and the NJIT defense produced its first shutout of the season Sunday afternoon in a 1-0 win over visiting Long Island University in men's soccer on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.

Warfving's pk at 39:48 came two seconds after Rahim Stennett, carrying the ball in the goal area, was taken down on a foul by the LIU defense. Blackbird goalkeeper Adam Janssen guessed wrong on the penalty shot, diving to his right as Warfving's kick went the other way.

The final totals were consistent with the final score, as each team took 11 shots. The shots on goal favored the Blackbirds, 6-4, but that was a bit misleading because aside from the goal, NJIT's best chances either hit the crossbar or went high completely. The corner kicks were 6-4 for LIU.

The win for the Highlanders (3-8) displayed many positives, including the ability to maintain their concentration and composure against a good team.

“In reviewing the first half of the season, we had been missing the ability to compete for 90 minutes,” said coach Pedro Lopes. “We had done some good things, but never really for a full game. It wasn't always a pretty game today, but everyone competed and gave an honest effort from start to finish.”

Through the first seven games, NJIT did not allow more than two goals in a game. However, since the seventh game, a 3-2 overtime win against VMI on September 20, the Highlanders allowed three goals twice and two goals once in the next three games—all losses.

Against LIU, now 4-5, the Highlanders were facing a team that had won three of its previous four matches and hadn't been shut out since a 1-0 loss on September 5 in California against UC Irvine, which was ranked 15th in the nation at the time.

Against that background, NJIT remained solid for the entire 90 minutes in front of goalkeeper Ryan Sutherland and whenever the Blackbirds got a chance, the senior was more than equal to the task, making six saves on the way to his third career shutout. Sutherland also did a fine job controlling the air space in front of his goal on Blackbird serves into the area.

“Ryan showed us down the stretch last year (3-1-1 NJIT record Oct. 22-Nov. 12, 2008) what he can do when he's on top of his game,” said Lopes. “We challenged him to be that guy who controls the box and today Ryan got to the balls that he's capable of getting.”

The Highlanders have been plagued through the first half of the season by momentary defensive lapses that have been exploited for opposition goals. There were no such lapses Sunday afternoon.

“We've emphasized to the defenders to stay attached and they did that,” said Lopes. “We did not allow (LIU) much space.”

The Blackbirds had a territorial advantage to start the game, but neither team threatened to score before the 22nd minute, when NJIT freshman Pete Walker found Warfving wide open on the doorstep just a couple of yards from the goal line, but Warfving's shot sailed high and hit the crossbar.

The remainder of the first half was even and the Blackbirds got their best chance with 35 seconds left, as Sutherland saved a head shot by LIU's Steve Jakubowski.

Leading at the half, the Highlanders got a pair of dangerous chances in the 53rd minute. The first came on a 22-yard waist-high direct free kick by Warfving that was saved by LIU's Janssen. Just 41 seconds later, Walker launched a 25-yarder that went just over the top of the goal.

NJIT's Sutherland made the save of the game in the 70th minute. The Highlanders had been applying pressure looking for an insurance score when LIU pushed the ball the other way on a hard-charging counter.

Jakeem Johnson running at full speed down the middle, took a centering pass in stride and, on the first touch, fired a hard ground ball that Sutherland deflected up and over the top of the goal.

Both teams had chances in the 81st minute, the first coming for NJIT off a nice move from midfield by Walker, who beat a defender, dropped it off to a teammate and then missed high after the quick return pass. On the other end, Sutherland made a stop on LIU's Josh Maley.

Highlander freshman Franco Gamero, who came on in the 78th minute, made his presence felt down the stretch, getting off quality shots in the 81st and 85th minutes and having a breakaway that was broken up on a sliding tackle by Mike Cable of the Blackbirds.

Sunday's win for NJIT over LIU brought the all-time men's soccer series between the schools even at 4-4. The Blackbirds had won the four previous meetings in NJIT's Division I era, which began in the 2004 season. Three of the four LIU wins in the Division I era were by one-goal margins, including 1-0 last season in Brooklyn.

The three previous series wins for the Highlanders came in 1951, 1952, and 1953 when the school was known as Newark College of Engineering. Those years were the second, third, and fourth years, respectively for men's soccer at NCE.

The next game for the Highlanders is Saturday at noon, when they host Longwood in the Atlantic Soccer Conference opener on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium. The game on October 10 is part of the annual NJIT Day celebration.