NEWARK, NJ—NJIT and visiting Drexel played 110 minutes of soccer with plenty of action, including 40 total shots, but neither team scored a goal Saturday night in non-conference men's soccer on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.

NJIT, which has played double overtime scoreless draws in each of its last two home games (tied LIU, 0-0, on September 11), is 1-4-2 after Saturday's result. Drexel, which has scored one goal total in its five contests, is 0-4-1.

Each team had a terrific chance at a win in the second and last overtime, but one chance went awry on an open header that sailed wide and the other failed on a terrific do-or-die goalkeeper save.

The Highlanders got a corner kick in the first minute of the second overtime and after the ball was played back outside the box and toward the middle, it was sent back in to Angel Gomez open in front, but the 6-foot-3 senior's header missed wide right.

NJIT nearly got caught on a counter attack in the 105th minute, when Drexel's Eric Lynch took a long pass out of the back and broke in on Highlander goalkeeper Adriano Deabreu 1-v-1 after defender Nico Lue Young lost his footing trying to stay in the play. However, the NJIT keeper came off his line and made the save on Lynch's point-blank try.

"Adriano made a huge save to preserve the tie," said NJIT coach Cesar Markovic. "It was the second start of his career and he came up huge for us."

The final totals showed NJIT with a 22-18 edge in total shots, including 9-6 in shots on goal, while the visiting Dragons owned a 9-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Deabreu, a sophomore playing his second game since taking over as NJIT's starter for the injured Lars Maalen-Johansen, posted his first college shutout with his six saves. Deabreu missed his entire freshman season in 2010 with an injury of his own.

Drexel's sophomore keeper Pentti Pussinen, who has been his team's starter all season, made nine saves for his first shutout of 2011.

"It was an offensive type of game, even though it was 0-0," said Markovic. "The odd thing is that we're attacking more than we were earlier in the year and we're not scoring. Earlier, we weren't attacking as much, but we scored more. We're continuing to play better and with the way we're playing, it's just a matter of time before the balls start going in the goal."

Markovic also complimented Drexel. "That's a real good team," he said. "They've played a tough schedule so far. They're going to be all right. I thought we attacked well tonight and Drexel attacked just as hard as we did. It was quite a game."

The scoreless first half finished with NJIT holding an advantage in total shots (8-3) and in shots on goal (4-2). However, Drexel had a territorial advantage, particularly in the early going and that was reflected by the Dragons' 4-1 lead in corner kicks.

Against the early flow of play, NJIT which had spent most of the match to that point defending, had three quick bites of the cherry in one sequence 16 minutes in, but the Highlanders came up empty on all three. First, Franco Gamero hit the right post from 15 yards away; then Christian Nieto controlled the ball and shot from an extreme angle on the right, forcing a save from Drexel's Pussinen; and finally Nathan D'Aversa shot off the rebound and Pussinen made the stop again.

NJIT's Deabreu made a big save a few minutes later, stopping Manuel Cazares on a clear shot from straight on.

A would-be goal, when Cazares fired a rebound into the net, was disallowed on an offsides whistle in the 30th minute.

Each team had its share of chances in the second half, as the total shots stood at 17-15 for NJIT at the end of regulation. Drexel's Pussinen made eight saves through the first 90 minutes to five for NJIT's Deabreu.

Brandon Zeller of the Dragons had a dangerous shot in the 55th minute on a hard 10-yard sidewinder from the right side the forced Deabreu to make a sprawling save at the near post.

After a spell of heavy pressure from the Dragons, the Highlanders countered and Nils Warfving took a strong shot from the top of the box that was saved by Pussinen in the 61st minute.

Later, Matheus Goncalves hit the crossbar for Drexel on a hard shot from the arc above the box in the 73rd minute.

The save of regulation came in the 81st minute when Drexel's Ken Tribbett headed a corner kick from the right corner toward the far post, where Deabreu made a diving stop, reaching back while prone to control the ball before it crossed the line.

NJIT had a territorial advantage in the first overtime, but neither team got off a shot in 10 minutes of play.

Both teams continued to go hard after the elusive winner. NJIT fullback Timothy Hojnacki came into the attack in the 107th minute and crossed from the right wing to Adisa Craig open at the far post, but Craig's header went over the top.

"Tim Hojnacki played his best game," said Markovic of his senior captain. "His 1-v-1 defending was excellent and he came forward and created some opportunities."

Proving the adage that you have to play to the final whistle, Malcolm LeBourne's header for Drexel in the dying seconds went just left of the goal, rolling out of play as the game ended.

The next game for the Highlanders is Wednesday at 7 pm, when they travel to Brooklyn, NY, for a game against St. Francis at the Aviator Sports and Events Center, which is off-campus at Floyd Bennett Field on Flatbush Avenue.