Box score

LEXINGTON, VA--Franco Gamero scored twice and newcomer Christian Galindo assisted on the tying goal and scored the winning goal in NJIT's come-from-behind 3-2 men's soccer win at VMI Sunday afternoon.

 

Aaron White had a goal and an assist for the Keydets (0-3), as he helped out on the first goal and scored the second. Stewart Wilkinson picked up the first goal and Matt Seinfeld assisted on the second goal.

 

NJIT (1-2) had a decided advantage in shots (18-11), shots on goal (13-4) and corner kicks (6-0).

 

Lars Maalen-Johansen, a junior transfer, picked up his first goalkeeping win for the Highlanders, making two saves. VMI's Taylor Feuerstein was far busier, stopping 10 shots in addition to the three that got past him.

 

“It was very humid and hot, so a lot of guys played and had a part in the win,” said Cesar Markovic, who picked up his first win as head coach at NJIT. “We came back from down a goal twice, which was good for team morale, especially on the road.”

 

The Highlanders had not led at any time in their first two games, a 2-1 overtime loss at Fairleigh Dickinson on August 26 and a 4-1 home loss to UAlbany on September 1. On top of that, both defeats were marred by late breakdowns on defense.

 

Having tied the game in the first half at FDU, they played well in the second half, but were beaten consistently in overtime leading up to the deciding goal. And against Albany, they saw a 1-1 tie broken with 20 minutes left and then they allowed two insurance goals in the final 10:18.

 

Sunday at VMI, the Highlanders again played from behind, trailing 1-0 and 2-1, despite getting more shots. This time, however, they found the means to get the job done in the late going, coming back and pulling out the win with the tying goal in the 76th minute and the game-winner at 82:46.

 

Each team scored once in the first half, with the home side scoring first on a goal by Stewart Wilkinson, assisted by Aaron White in the 34th minute. Just over 10 minutes later, Gamero pulled the Highlanders even with an unassisted goal at 43:49.

 

VMI which had lost its opener at North Carolina State (2-0) and then lost 1-0 at home vs. Army, got its opening score against NJIT when White sent a through ball into the goal area for Wilkinson, who beat Maalen-Johansen on a low shot inside the left post.

 

Gamero's first marker of the day came after a steal in the Keydet defense and subsequent scoring shot by Gamero from 18 yards out.

 

After assisting on the opening goal, White later put the ball in the net himself, turning a pass from Matt Seinfeld into a 2-1 lead for the Keydets in the 58th minute. Seinfeld made the play, beating defenders down the left flank and crossing to White, who finished from in close.

 

The home side's lead held up for nearly 20 minutes before Gamero made it 2-2, assisted by Galindo at 75:24. NJIT had been pressuring the home team in the minutes leading up to the equalizer, finally cashing in with the Galindo-to-Gamero connection.

 

Galindo then got the game-winner, a 25-yard shot, unassisted, in the 83rd minute. VMI, trying to clear the goal area, headed the ball out into the field, where Galindo gathered the loose ball and fired home the winner.

 

“Franco Gamero scored a couple of nice goals and he might be emerging as someone who can be a goal scorer for us,” said Markovic. “Christian Galindo's goal was a great one. He took one touch and then blasted it into the corner—the keeper never had a chance.”

 

Although both NJIT goal scorers, Gamero and Galindo, are juniors, they were not with the team in 2010. Gamero, who came off the bench Sunday, scored three goals as a freshman in 2009, but did not play last year. Galindo is a transfer who played his first two seasons at Stony Brook, where he was coached by  Markovic, who led the Sea Wolves for seven seasons, reaching the NCAAs twice in that span. Neither player had been on the score sheet in the first two 2011 NJIT games.

 

After mentioning the continued strong play of junior Nathan D'Aversa, Markovic noted contributions from several freshmen when he called on the bench in the muggy conditions. “Cristian Marcel , Christian Nieto , Anthony Escamilla , and Greg Kaye all came on and helped us keep pushing when we came back and won. That was important today.”

 

The Highlanders were also fortified on Sunday by the return to action of sophomore Kwesi Alleyne, who missed the Albany game after starting at FDU. In the first half at FDU, he took an elbow to the face on a 50/50 ball in the air, sustaining a gash to his upper lip that required over 100 stitches to repair.

 

Having ventured 400 miles to visit VMI for Sunday's game, the Highlanders will travel 380 miles for their next contest, a match at the University of Buffalo on Wednesday at 7:30 pm.

 

(goal descriptions courtesy of VMI Athletic Communications)