Box Score Box score

STONY BROOK, NY—Stony Brook, the defending America East Conference women's soccer champion, remained unbeaten in 2013, thanks to a late goal by freshman Maxie New that pushed the Seawolves past visiting NJIT, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at LaValle Stadium on SBU's campus.

Stony Brook, with four 2012 America East all-conference players in its current lineup, began the 2013 season with a tie against Seton Hall and then routed Fairleigh Dickinson, 6-0. SBU began the Labor Day weekend with a 2-0 win over Fairfield, which was 2012 regular season co-champion of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and was the favorite to win the MAAC in a 2013 preseason poll of conference coaches.

Against that background, the Highlanders made the trip to Long Island fully expecting a stern test.

Stony Brook (3-0-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute and the advantage stood until nearly 15 minutes into the second half, when NJIT's Abi Fakolujo knocked home a rebound from in front of the crowded SBU goal area, drawing the Highlanders even with their formidable foes at 59:20.

New, who had hit the post back in the 25th minute when her team was up, 1-0, snapped the 1-1 tie, scoring what proved to the game-winner with 17:38 remaining, assisted by Tessa Devereaux and Larissa Nysch. Stony Brook had taken its 1-0 lead on a goal by Nysch, who was aided by Shannon Grogan on the play. Nysch and Grogan were all-conference last season and Devereaux was a unanimous choice on the America East all-rookie team, as well.

For NJIT (1-3), Jamee Simone, who has made a positive impression in her first four college games, assisted on the goal for Fakolujo. The scoring represented the first college assist for the freshman Simone and also the first college goal for the sophomore Fakolujo, who appeared in 16 games, starting two, in 2102, but did not score.

Although Fakolujo and Simone have played just four games as college teammates, they were both part of the Highland Wildcats in South Jersey as youth club players. NJIT freshman Dana Schules, who has played in all four games and scored a goal earlier in the week vs. Saint Peter's, played for the same club team and was a teammate of Fakolujo at Triton Regional High School in Runnemede, NJ.

Stony Brook had a decided advantage in shots, 18-6 overall and 9-3 in on-frame attempts, plus a 5-1 lead in corner kicks. Stony Brook junior goalkeeper Ashley Castanio raised her personal season record to 3-0-1 by making two saves, while getting beaten once on the Fakolujo goal in 90 minutes of action. Castanio played every minute in goal in 2102, earning America East all-tournament honors for backstopping her side to its first-ever America East title and Division I NCAA Tournament berth.

Sophomore Samantha Bersett went all the way between the posts for the Highlanders, stopping seven shots and conceding the two goals.

Bersett made two saves before Nysch got behind the NJJT defense and received a long pass from Grogan. Nysch beat Bersett with a hard shot under the crossbar at 15:59.

The Seawolves, who outshot NJIT in the first half, 13-0, pressed their advantage throughout the opening 45 minutes and missed out on a 2-0 lead when New's shot struck the goal post in the 25th minute.

Having survived to halftime down just 1-0, NJIT got off three of the first four shots of the second half, forcing Castanio to save two of them.

The fourth and fifth Highlander shots of the half led to their goal, as Simone's shot was saved by Castanio, but Fakolujo was there in traffic to boot home the rebound at 59:20.

With the score tied about 15 minutes into the second half, SBU's Nysch took the game's next two shots before assisting on New's game winner.

Nysch headed a failed NJIT clearance to Devereaux, who, in turn, headed it to the freshman New, who finished inside the right post, scoring her second college goal and giving Stony Brook the lead that stood for the remaining 17:38 and the final horn.

The Highlanders face another tough test in their next game on Thursday, when they head for the Jersey Shore and a 7 pm game in West Long Branch against Monmouth.

NJIT scored what is likely its biggest women's soccer victory ever when it edged Monmouth last September 2 in Newark, 2-1.

Monmouth, a new member of the MAAC for 2013, is established as one of the top women's programs in the region, having produced long-time United States Women's National Team stalwart Christie (Pearce) Rampone, while winning 321 games since 1985 (159 wins under current coach Krissy Turner, who has helmed MU since 1998).

The Hawks earned berths in the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and 2009 and they were champions of their old conference, the Northeast Conference in those years and also 1995 and 1996. Monmouth finished 2012 at 10-7-2 and finished second in the NEC.

Monmouth, 2-0 this year with a pair of 1-0 wins over Delaware and Lehigh, respectively will host Seton Hall on Labor Day evening before entertaining NJIT on Thursday.

(goal descriptions for Stony Brook game courtesy of Stony Brook Athletic Communications)