Box Score


EVANSVILLE, IN—Green Bay scored twice in the second half, rallying from a 1-0 halftime deficit and topping NJIT, 2-1, Sunday afternoon in the final round of the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic hosted by the University of Evansville.

Sunday's result left Green Bay with a 4-2-2 record on the year, while NJIT falls to 2-5-1, having suffered all five defeats by a margin of one goal including a pair of 2-1 losses in Indiana this weekend.

The Highlanders also lost 2-1 to host Evansville on Friday night. They have not allowed more than two goals in any of their eight games, but they have more close losses than anything else. NJIT has had just one offensive game of more than one goal (3-0 vs. St. Bonaventure last Sunday).and the season totals show 10 goals allowed in eight games and nine scored, but only two wins and a tie to show for it.

NJIT, which scored first on a penalty kick goal by Marko Drljic at 19:03, was unable to hold off the high-powered attack of the Phoenix, who knotted the score in the 56th minute and then got what proved to be the game-winner a little more than nine minutes later on the team-leading seventh goal of the season for Sam Krenzien at 64:29.

Green Bay had tied its opening Classic opponent, Eastern Illinois, 4-4, on Friday and the Phoenix had preceded that effort with three three-goal games, including a 3-3 tie against Marquette, which ranked #12 in the nation at the time.

In a matchup of freshmen goalkeepers hailing from Wisconsin, Kyle Ihn got the win in goal for the Phoenix, as he made four saves and allowed the one goal. For NJIT, David Tuchinsky, who is from Stevens Point, about 100 miles west of Green Bay, made six saves and his defense made another stop, resulting in a team save.

The shots on goal for the game reflected the score, as Green Bay, a 2-1 winner on the scoreboard, had a 9-5 lead in shots on goal. However, the total shots were more heavily-weighted, 18-7 the Phoenix, including 11-4 in the second half. The corner kicks were also a lopsided 8-1 in Green Bay's favor.

The NJIT penalty kick, awarded on a Green Bay foul in the penalty area, was the first pk of the season for the Highlanders and the first college try from the spot by Drljic, who did not handle penalty kick chores in 2012, his first year with the Highlanders.

Drljic converted the penalty kick, giving him two goals for the season, which ties Sven Beverst and Tommy Osipitan for the team lead.

The lead lasted until just over 10 minutes into the second half, when Green Bay's Tyler Swanner beat Tuchinsky from 10 yards out off a pass, middle to left, by Lawrence Talery at 55:10.

Krenzien, a first-team All-Horizon League pick last year, delivered the game-winner after a move to beat an NJIT defender at the top of the box, followed by a low shot that found its way into the goal inside the near post.

NJIT put two shots on goal in the less than four minutes after Frenzien made it 2-1, but Ihn made the save each time and the Highlanders, who did not put a shot on frame in the last 21 minutes were done scoring for the day.

In Sunday's second game, host Evansville scored twice in the last 2:23, including the game-winner 11 seconds before the final whistle, to pull out a 5-4 win against Eastern Ilinois.

NJIT's representative on the ProRehab Aces Soccer Classic All-Tournament team were freshman Sven Beverst and sophomore Jimmy Myers.

The Highlanders will continue their stretch of five consecutive road games, but much closer to home, when they visit Rider in Lawrenceville, NJ, on Wednesday at 4 pm. Rider is 5-1, including a 1-0 road win Sunday at St. Bonaventure.