NEWARK, NJ—St. Francis (NY) senior John Sallhag scored three unassisted goals, leading the visiting Terriers to a 4-1 win over NJIT in non-conference men's soccer Thursday night on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.

The Terriers, the second-place team a year ago in the Northeast Conference, came into Thursday's contest with an 0-3-1 record, owing in large part to the fact that they had managed just two total goals in the four games.

Continuing a stretch that will see it play its first nine games this season away, St. Francis matched its previous season goals total in the first 5:03 against NJIT, before ultimately doubling that previous total.

Sallhag, a three-time all-NEC player, got things going with an unassisted goal at 1:28. Junior Robbie Weir aoon made it 2-0 for the Terriers, assisted by Adam Maabdi at 5:03.

The Highlanders responded with what would be their only goal of the evening, a penalty kick by sophomore Jack McVey at 7:03. McVey, the reigning Atlantic Soccer Conference Player of the Week, raised his team-leading goals total to four on the pk.

After the early flurry, the score stayed at 2-1 for the rest of the first half and for more than 11 minutes into the second.
 
But Sallhag, the St. Francis star got going again, scoring unassisted goals at 56:10 and at 62:32. In three career games against NJIT, he had four goals and an assist.

The overall shots were close (20-17 for St. Francis), but the Terriers had 10 shots on goal to six for the Highlanders and the visitors applied more pressure overall, as measured by their 15-3 advantage in corner kicks.

NJIT goalkeeper John Ricketti, who had little or no chance on all four goals, made six saves, while the starting keeper for St. Francis, Curtis Julien, made five saves. Liam Burton, who played the last 5:01 in goal for the Terriers, was untested, with neither a save or a goal allowed.

All three of Sallhag's goals were the result either of his beating a defender one-on-one near the top of the penalty area, or splitting two defenders in the same vicinity. The other St. Francis goal, by the junior tri-captain Weir, was also an open shot from a few yards outside the area.

Sallhag's opening goal came on the first St. Francis shot. He carried the ball from midfield, dribbled around the defense at the 18 and came right down the middle, beating the diving Ricketti to the right side from 10 yards away in the second minute.

Weir's tally came from straight on, as well, but from 25 yards out. Maabdi controlling at the top of the box, sent a back pass to the unmarked Weir, who struck a low, hard shot a couple of yards inside the left post at 5:03.

Barely two minutes later, McVey put NJIT back in contention. The Highlander sophomore had found himself with ball inside the goal area and taking a defender one-on-one, with no other defenders or attackers within 10 yards.

McVey, beating his man, was hauled down on the move, resulting in a clear penalty, which he converted easily, shooting left, opposite of the way Julien had guessed.

Each team had its share of additional chances in the wide-open first half, highlighted by NJIT's Pete Walker hitting the crossbar in the 12th minute and Simon Ytterbom hitting the post in the 39th minute.

The save of the night came less than 10 minutes into the second half.

NJIT's Rahim Stennett, who came on as a sub to start the period, dribbled past a would-be defender and found himself bearing down one-on-one against Julien. The Terrier keeper made a sprawling save on the close-range shot to preserve the 2-1 lead, clearing the path for Sallhag to extend the lead a minute, or so, later.

“When the same guy (Sallhag) beats you basically the same way three times, that's unacceptable,” said NJIT coach Pedro Lopes. “The primary defenders didn't do a particularly good job on the goals, but there was no secondary help on defense and we can't have that.”

Crediting Sallhag as an outstanding player, Lopes said the first two quick goals played heavily in favor of the visitors. “They came in struggling for goals and they were determined to change that,” said the coach. “When they came out and scored twice, so fast, it changed their whole outlook. They're a team of quality and the goals gave them the confidence to take it to us.”

Things are not likely to get any easier for the Highlanders, whose next contest is in West Long Branch, NJ, at Monmouth on Sunday at 1 pm.
 
Monmouth is ranked fifth in the latest national NSCAA coaches' poll. The Hawks, who are unbeaten and first in the North Atlantic Region Poll (NJIT is seventh in the same regional poll), were 13th in the final 2009 national poll. They beat NJIT, 2-1, on September 6, 2009 in Newark.