NEWARK, NJ—Visiting Army raised its women's soccer record to 8-2 with a hard-fought 2-0 win over NJIT in non-conference action Friday night on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.

The game was played generally on even terms, especially up until the first goal, which came in the 68th minute, on a direct free kick by junior Deanna Clegg. The goal was the first of the season for Clegg, who was Army's second-leading scorer in 2009.

The Black Knights got their insurance goal at 73:47, exactly five minutes after the first tally, with Joey Molacek scoring the goal on an assist from Kim An. Both players are freshmen.

Junior Monica Lee made three saves for her fourth shutout in five starts in goal for Army

(she shares goalkeeping duties with senior Alex Lostetter, who also has four shutouts). The winners, who have allowed just three total goals in 10 games, have shutouts in all eight wins.

NJIT goalkeeper Sadie Mele had three saves, as well.

Clegg's goal, which proved to be the game-winner, came on a free kick from a difficult angle. The kick was awarded on a foul that put the ball 10 yards from the goal line just outside and to the right of the box. Clegg's head-high boot to the far post could have been a serve for a header, but it angled through a tangle of bodies on its own and found its way into the goal without being re-directed.

The second goal, five minutes later, was a sliding kick by Molacek, who finished off a play that began with a hard shot from An, whose attempt from about 12 yards trickled out of Mele's control near the goal line.

The total shots were 9-7 in favor of Army, including 5-3 in shots on goal. Each team had three corner kicks.

There weren't many good chances for either side in the first half, as both teams played solid defense.

The first shot on goal came in the 14th minute, when NJIT's Amanda Dotten hit the ball well off a free from Casey Parisi, but Army's Lee made the stop.

Ten minutes later, Army had its first good chance, on a ball played into the middle of the box. But NJIT's Mele broke it up, diving at the feet of Army's Caroline Rice before Rice could get a foot on the crossing pass.

Late in the half, Lee, the Army keeper made her second save, securing a straight-on header from Cielianna Pasiciel off of a corner kick.

The second half saw more long runs and long passes that found their mark, but neither team could get on the board until the Army set piece almost 24 minutes into the final period.

NJIT, which is 1-7-1, all in non-conference play, with three 2-0 regulation losses and a 1-0 regulation loss, plus a 2-1 overtime loss, begins Great West Conference play on Sunday at 4 pm in Washington, DC, with a visit to Howard.