NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT men's and women's soccer teams open its 2012 home season Friday, August 24 on Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.
 
The NJIT women will play at 5pm and host Marist followed by the men's game at 7pm vs. Virginia Military Institute (VMI).  Live stats for both games will be available at www.njithighlanders.com .

The women, who are 1-1 on the young season, opened up last Friday with a new-look and seven freshman starters, picking up its first win at Saint Peter's, with goals from three different players in a 3-0 victory.  The lone loss came at Rider on Sunday on a header off of a cross with just 2:55 remaining in the second and final overtime period.

Marist, a participant in the 2011 NCAA Division I Women's College Cup tournament, is the defending champion of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  The Red Foxes, 13-6-2 overall a year ago and 7-1-1 in the MAAC regular season, recorded its first win of the season Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Wagner in the home opener for the Red Foxes.

The NJIT men finished 5-12-2 overall last season and 1-3-0 in the Atlantic Soccer Conference.  The five-win total matched the best in a season for the program since it began NCAA Division I competition in 2004.

VMI, which competes in the Big South Conference, will come to Newark and open up its 2012 campaign.  Last season the Keydets went 1-15-2 and 1-7-1 in conference play. 

In the last meeting between the two teams in Lexington, Virginia, Highlander Franco Gamero scored twice and Christian Galindo assisted on the tying goal and scored the winning goal in NJIT's come-from-behind 3-2 men's soccer win.