Box score

NEWARK, NJ—Two second-half goals in a span of less than six minutes lifted visiting Howard past NJIT, 2-0, in Great West Conference women's soccer Thursday evening on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
The win upped the conference record for the Bison to 2-3, while NJIT dropped to 1-2 in the Great West. Howard is 3-11-1 overall, while the Highlanders are 2-13.
 
Jordan Brown assisted on both Howard goals, which were strikingly similar, except for manner by which they were finished.
 
Brown, a junior forward who ran hard all night, set up both goals on crossing passes from outside the box on the right wing and about 10 yards shy of the goal line.
 
Brown's first assist found Cynthia Snyder wide open at the far post and Snyder tapped the cross with her foot into the goal from the doorstep at 56:45. The second assist found Retha Koefoed as open as Snyder had been on the first goal and Koefoed finished the play on a header at 62:03.
 
The final stat sheet was close, with NJIT holding a slim 8-7 advantage in total shots, while the shots on goal were even at five apiece. NJIT had six corner kicks to one for Howard.
 
Howard's freshman goalkeeper Kyra Dickinson finished with five saves for her first college shutout (she also played the second half in a 1-0 win at Mount St. Mary's earlier in the season). NJIT's Anna Kornmuller was credit with three goals.
 
Both Howard goals were preceded by good chances for the Highlanders. With the game still scoreless, Mariam Bestawros broke free down the middle for NJIT in the 52nd minute, but her shot from 10 yards out sailed just over the crossbar. Snyder scored for Howard less than five minutes later.
 
Howard's Dickinson made the best save of the night in the 62nd minute, denying NJIT the equalizer with a diving stop of a hard shot by Meryl Hershfield, who received a crossing pass from Gechi Ukaegbu. The Bison scored their insurance goal seconds after that.
 
Howard has plenty of experience playing close games, as seven of its first 14 contests were decided in overtime and only two of the 14 previous opponents managed more than two goals against the Bison in regulation.
 
“They finished their chances and we didn't,” said NJIT coach Sergio Gonzalez. “We put some dangerous balls in the box and didn't finish. We did a good job, for the most part, limiting their chances, except for those two opportunities. And they finished both.”
 
The Highlanders have three regular season contests remaining, with the next one in the home finale on Saturday at 11 am against Great West Conference-leading Utah Valley on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
After Saturday, NJIT will visit North Dakota on October 27 and Houston Baptist on October 29, before returning home to host the Great West Conference postseason tournament from November 4 to 7.