Box Score
SMITHFIELD, RI—Freshman Amanda Dotten provided NJIT with the game-winner on her first college goal, as the Highlanders went on the road to defeat Bryant, 3-2, in non-conference women's soccer Sunday afternoon.
Dotten was joined in the goal scoring column for the Highlanders by junior Kori Washington who picked up her team-leading second goal of 2009, and by freshman Erin Morris, who, playing in her first game this season, scored a goal on her first collegiate shot.
The win lifted the Highlanders to a 3-3-1 overall record and was their fourth win on the road since they began playing a Division I schedule in 2006. The previous wins were in 2006 at Howard, 2007 at Delaware State and 2008 at South Carolina State. NJIT also defeated South Carolina State at a neutral site (Orem, Utah) in the opening round of the United Soccer Conference in 2007. Sunday's victory also paid back Bryant, which topped NJIT, 3-1, in the first women's soccer game between the schools last October in Newark.
Dotten, who scored the game-winner from 30 yards out on an assist from Christi Taylor in the 75th minute, as the long shot was placed perfectly over the head of Bryant goalkeeper Kelsi Jacob, but under the crossbar.
Dotten came to NJIT with a resume that attested to her leg strength. Her 20 goals as a high school junior are recognized as the Alaska girls' soccer state record and she was also a first-team all-state placekicker, booting field goals and extra points for her school's state champion boys football team.
Washington got NJIT on the board first, taking a through pass from Gechi Ukaegbu for a breakaway and beating Bryant's Jacob to the right just 4:24 into the contest.
The goal for Washington was the 10th of her career, which extends her own record for the most in the Division I era and moves her alone into fourth place on the overall career list, which is headed by Erika Taugher ('09) at 16 career goals.
Bryant tied the score in the 21st minute on a goal by Kaitlyn Hinck, assisted by Morgan Derick, as the Bulldogs scored out of a crowd in front of the net.
With the score tied at halftime, 1-1, the Highlanders reclaimed the lead on Morris' first college goal, which came in the 52nd minute. Morris scored off a cross from Washington, who collected her first assist of the season.
The Highlanders' second lead of the day was short-lived, as Sarah Donovan knotted the score on an unassisted goal barely five minutes after Morris had put NJIT on top.
Dotten's game-winner came nearly 18 minutes after Bryant's Donovan had made it 2-2.
The final 15:22 included a stoppage of play as the referees conferred among themselves to determine whether or not a shot by Bryant's Derick had beaten NJIT goalkeeper Sadie Mele for a goal. The officials emerged from their conference with a ruling that it no goal and that Mele had been knocked back into the net.
The Highlanders then held on for their third win of the year, surpassing their total for the entire 2008 season when their roster was beset by a series of injuries to key players.
The overall shot totals favored Bryant, 23-9, and the corner kicks favored the Bulldogs, as well, 9-2. But the shots on goal were much closer, with the Highlanders putting seven on target to eight for Bryant.
Mele made six saves, while Bryant's Jacob stopped four shots from the Highlanders.
NJIT will play its next three matches at home, beginning with a visit from Lafayette. The Highlanders will host the Leopards on Friday at 7 pm on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.
