NEWARK, NJ—Albany broke a 1-1 tie with just over 20 minutes left and then poured home two insurance goals for a 4-1 victory over NJIT in the men's soccer home opener for the Highlanders Thursday night on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.

Junior Quintel Gates scored the game's only first-half goal in the 30th minute for the Great Danes (1-2). He later tallied what proved to be the game-winner when he finished off of a rebound in the 71st minute, giving UAlbany a 2-1 lead. The goals were the second and third of the young season for Gates, a transfer who played the previous two seasons at Adelphi.

The opening goal of the night was assisted by Anthony DeSalvo, while the go-ahead goal was unassisted.

Both UAlbany insurance goals came in the last 10:18, as David Pinto scored, unassisted, at 79:42, and Pomare Te Anau, a freshman from New Zealand, wrapped up the scoring with a tally at 83:27, assisted by Dan Christiansen.

NJIT (0-2) scored in the 58th minute on an own goal off the head of Te Anau, who was attempting to clear a Highlander free kick, but nodded it into the net instead.

Senior goalkeeper Adrian Foncette made three saves to earn the win for the Great Danes, while his NJIT counterpart, Lars Maalen-Johansen, made four stops to equal his goals-against total for the night.

The total shots favored UAlbany, 15-10, including an 8-4 margin in shots on goal. In addition to the four goals, the Great Danes also hit the crossbar once and the goalposts twice. NJIT had a slim 5-4 margin in corner kicks, but four of the corners came in the first half.

Both teams played with energy in the first half, but the only goal came from Gates, whose ground ball shot from the left side of the goal area went into the far post after DeSalvo's at 29:59.

The Highlanders had a good chance about five minutes later when Nils Warfving controlled the second pass across the top of the box and got off a difficult shot that missed just wide right.

Although the NJIT score came on an Albany own goal, it was the product of good play by the Highlanders, who were pressing the attack and were awarded a direct free kick from 25 yards out.

Nathan D'Aversa took the free kick for the home team, sending a strong shot toward goal. Albany's Te Anau went up high trying to block it, but he could not send the well-struck ball back out into the field, instead re-directing it into the far corner of the goal at 57:41.

Gates netted the go-ahead score, knocking home a rebound from in front following a scramble after a shot from Pinto came free in the 71st minute.

Three minutes later, the Highlanders had a chance to equalize, as Luis Granizo chipped a pass ahead into the area and Christian Nieto, near the penalty spot, took a header that forced Foncette to make the save of the night.

Albany's Pinto made it 3-1 on a play that seemed to develop in slow motion. The Great Danes played the ball in front of the goal and Pinto beat the defense to the ball, getting off a shot that eased across the goal line at 79:42.

The visitors pressed their advantage and finished the scoring on Te Anau's first college goal, assisted by Christiansen in the 84th minute.

“We did a lot of good things up until we tied the game,” said NJIT coach Cesar Markovic, who led the Highlanders at home for the first time. “But after we tied the game, (Albany) played their best soccer and we stopped doing the things we had been doing well.”

Markovic mentioned four Highlanders as having played well in his post-game analysis. “Nate (D'Aversa) had a good game for us,” said the coach. “I thought Emeka (Nwachukwu) was dangerous and created a lot of chances, and (Christian) Nieto and Luqman (Olawin) gave us a spark off the bench when they came in.”

NJIT will play its next two games on the road, starting on Sunday at 1 pm, when it visits VMI in Lexington, VA.