Box score

JERSEY CITY, NJ—Saint Peter's scored twice in the first 18:02 and added another goal in the final 10 minutes to defeat visiting in NJIT, 3-0, in non-conference men's soccer Wednesday afternoon.
 
The three Saint Peter's goals came from three different players, all of whom picked up their second goal of the season. Senior Harry Newman scored the first goal of the game and assisted on the third for the Peacocks.
 
Newman, a preseason all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference pick this year after leading the 2010 MAAC champions with eight goals, got things started Wednesday, knocking home a goal off of a save by NJIT goalkeeper Adriano Deabreu at 13:16.
 
The Peacocks (1-7) made it 2-0 less than five minutes later when freshman Noah Sadoui scored an unassisted goal at 18:02.
 
That would be the only scoring for a long time, but Saint Peter's continued to have the better of the play in the second half and added another insurance goal at 80:42, with junior Betim Bajrami scoring off of a rebound of a shot by Newman. The initial shot by Newman forced a difficult save by Deabreu, who could only deflect it back out into the field, where Bajrami sent it back into the net.
 
Deabreu finished with nine saves, as 12 of the 14 Saint Peter's shot were on target. One of his saves, in the 89th minute, denied Newman what would have been his second goal. Saint Peter's sophomore Diego Mendoza needed two saves to notch the shutout in his third start of the year. NJIT (1-7-2) attempted eight shots, but six missed the frame.
 
“It was a very disappointing performance,” said NJIT coach Cesar Markovic. “We got off to a good start. Then we took a goal and lost control a bit. We have to get back to work and get ourselves ready for Sunday (October 2, 2 pm, against Quinnipiac at home on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium).”
 
One Highlander who earned commendation from the coach was freshman Cristian Marcel, who made his first college start. “Cristian Marcel showed something,” said Markovic. “He played the way I wanted him to play and showed promise for the future."
 
Wednesday's game was the first at Saint Peter's on Joseph J. Jaroschak Field for Markovic since 2003, when he completed a four-year run as Saint Peter's head coach. That year, Markovic guided the Peacocks to an 18-5-2 record, won the MAAC championship and reached the Division I College Cup for the first time in program history.
 
Markovic went from Saint Peter's to Stony Brook, which he coached from 2004 to 2010, before taking the NJIT helm in 2011. He did not face Saint Peter's while he was at Stony Brook, which he led to the NCAAs in 2005 (first berth in program history) and 2009.