NEWARK, NJ—The six seniors on the NJIT women's soccer team couldn't have asked for a much better outcome in their final career home game Friday night, as the Highlanders defeated Howard, 2-1, in Great West Conference East Division action on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.

One of the seniors, Sadie Mele, who has played every minute of every game in her brilliant NJIT career, got the win. She was denied the shutout by a defensive breakdown that led to Howard's goal with just 28 seconds left on the clock. Mele finished with one save.

Another senior, Kori Washington, was credited with an assist as the middle of three players on ascoring play as attractive as NJIT has ever produced in its Division I era of women's soccer, which began in 2006.

With NJIT leading 1-0 in the second half, Washington ran onto a perfect 50-yard pass that split two defenders out of the back from Meryl Hershfield. Going hard down the right wing, Washington then carried into the box and crossed to Erin Morris, who fired a high, hard shot under the crossbar and into the net from 10 yards out at 60:17. It was the second goal of the year for Morris and the first assist for Washington.

The first Highlander score had come in the 42nd minute, when freshman Rebecca Tustin scored her first college goal on a header in front off of a corner kick by Hershfield.

The sophomore Hershfield, with assists on both goals Friday, now has three on the season, tying Piper Lunan for the team lead.

Howard's goal, scored by Rachael Lee, was the result of a ball lost by the NJIT defense to Owyn Mason, who, with Howard applying pressure, sent the ball on to the open Lee, who finished the play at 89:32.

Cheyra Bell, the Howard goalkeeper, who finished with six saves, could not be faulted on either NJIT score. Indeed, she made a well-timed leap to get a hand on the header by Tustin, but the ball was struck too hard for Bell to knock it away.

The NJIT doubled the visitors in total shots, 14-7, and the shots on goal favored the Highlanders, 8-2.

All six seniors were in NJIT's starting lineup, including Michelle Borth and Kyrsten Howell-Harries, both of whom had seen their senior years curtailed by chronic injuries. Borth, who appeared in four early season games as a substitute, made her first start of 2010 and Howell-Harries made both her first start and first appearance of the season. Both players were replaced at the first dead ball substitution opportunity.

The other two seniors to start, along with Mele, Washington, Borth, and Howell-Harries, were Christi Taylor and Mary Munoz. Taylor has a goal and an assist on the season in 14 games, while Munoz, a reliable defensive player has been in 13 of the team's 16 games, with 11 starts.

The win lifted NJIT to 3-2 in the Great West Conference East Division and to 4-11-1 overall, while Howard is 3-3 in the GWC East and 6-9 overall. Friday's win by the Highlanders earned them a split of the two-game season series against the Lady Bison. Howard was a 2-1 overtime winner over NJIT on September 26 in Washington, DC.

The Highlanders will play their final regular season match on Sunday at 1 pm, when they visit South Carolina State.

The Great West Conference Tournament, hosted by Houston Baptist, begins next weekend on Friday.