Box score

HOUSTON—Houston Baptist scored in the 11th minute and then added two late goals, including one with 40 seconds left that capped a 3-0 men's soccer win over visiting NJIT in Atlantic Soccer Conference action Saturday night.
 
Both teams came out of the game with 1-1 conference records and the win was also the first overall for Houston Baptist, which is 1-9-2, although it is 1-1-1 in its last three games, including a 1-0 loss two Saturdays ago vs. defending ASC champ Adelphi on a goal with 22 seconds left in regulation. The loss halted a three-game winning streak for NJIT (4-8-2). The streak was the longest for the Highlanders since they began Division I competition in 2004.
 
“We have to learn to stay focused and not lose perspective on what got us the wins in the first place,” said NJIT's disappointed coach Cesar Markovic. “I think we lost our focus on this long trip about what goes into winning games.”
 
Houston Baptist took control with a score at 10:33, as freshman Marcos Escobar finished into the lower left corner off of a crossing pass, as Tanner Fyfe and Mark Gendi collected assists on the play. Gendi sent a pass to Fyfe on the right side and Fyfe centered to Escobar.
 
That was the only scoring for either side until late in the 79th minute, when the senior, Fyfe made it a three-point night for himself, scoring inside the right post, assisted by Kristopher Tyrpak. And the Huskies closed the scoring when Richard Ojeda sent freshman Zach Pierce on a breakaway goal at 89:20.
 
The final shot totals showed HBU with a 17-6 advantage, including 5-2 in shots on goal. Freshman Kevin Suarez, the current Atlantic Soccer Conference Rookie of the Week, registered his second consecutive shutout for the Huskies, stopping two NJIT shots (Suarez had a double overtime shutout in a 0-0 non-conference tie against Central Arkansas on October 5 in the last game). Lars Maalen-Johansen, NJIT's reigning conference Player of the Week, made two saves.
 
All three Houston Baptist goals were the result of counter attacks. “(HBU) sat back early and they got that early goal,” Markovic said. “They were very disciplined defensively and they counter attacked very well.”
 
Assessing his own team, Markovic said: “We weren't aggressive enough. We chased the game early and when we were working for the equalizer we got beat on the counter attack.”
 
The Atlantic Soccer Conference schedule is brief, with only four regular season games for each team. As a result, every game is that much bigger in the conference standings. Adelphi, the defending champ, is 3-0, with just one regular season league game remaining (October 29 at NJIT). The Highlanders and Houston Baptist are each 1-1 and tied for second place.
 
NJIT, meanwhile, has a 10-game break before returning to play its final non-conference game of the season October 25 at Lafayette, currently in second place in the Patriot League.