NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT women's soccer team honored its five seniors before Friday night's home soccer match against Delaware State and the Highlanders were able to celebrate after the final whistle, as well, as they defeated the visiting Hornets, 2-1.
The win raises NJIT's record to 3-11, while Delaware State falls to 3-9-1.
NJIT got the only goal of the first half on a penalty kick by senior
Jenny Cislo in the 10th minute and then took a 2-0 lead on junior
Kaelyn Gamel's team-leading third goal of the season at 53:26.
Down two goals, Delaware State added some suspense to the rest of the night with a goal by freshman Emma Cain in the 58th minute.
However, the Hornets were unable to find the equalizer over the last 32:25 and NJIT held on to win.
Friday's victory was the second win by one goal for the Highlanders this season. They won the season opener over Canisius, 1-0, but had suffered eight one-goal defeats in the interim, including three in overtime.
Junior
Madeline Griep assisted on what proved to be the game-winner by her classmate Gamel and freshman Paige Wilcox had the assist on the Delaware State marker.
NJIT needed two goalkeepers to pull off the victory. Junior
Samantha Bersett started and made five saves while being beaten on the Hornet goal. Bersett was forced from the game at the 68:43 mark when she was injured in a collision with a Delaware State attacker 15 yards off her line into the penalty area.
Sophomore
Karen David came in with just over 21 minutes left and was forced to make the save of the night less than two minutes later. She finished with the one huge save in preserving the win for NJIT.
Delaware State's senior goalkeeper, Katelyn Koslosky, faced just four total shots, three of which were on target and two of which got past her.
The visiting Hornets held a solid 12-4 advantage in total shots, including 7-3 in shots on frame. The corner kicks were even at five apiece.
Delaware State held an 8-3 lead in first-half shots, including 5-2 in shots on goal, but it was the Highlanders who led at the break on the strength of Cislo's penalty kick, which was awarded on a hand ball in the penalty area by a DSU defender.
Cislo, NJIT's best defender, normally stays at home on defense to anchor of the back line. However, she connected for her second career goal on Friday's penalty kick, which was the first shot of the season for the senior who made her 72nd career start.
Cislo's marker came minutes after the visiting Hornets were denied on a timely defensive play by NJIT junior back
Danielle Pierce. The DSU freshman Cain, who would score her team's goal later on, beat the Highlander keeper, Bersett, to the ball at the top of the box. Cain's shot toward the left side of the goal was blocked by Pierce, who stood her ground five yards off the ball and blocked it before it could reach the open net in the fourth minute.
With NJIT holding a 1-0 lead, Bersett later made a diving save in the 40th minute on a try by Hornet freshman, Paige Wilcox, who would assist on her team's goal.
Gamel added the second NJIT goal, assisted by Griep, less than nine minutes into the second half. Griep set up the score with her third assist of the season, centering a cross from the right wing to Gamel, who scored on a header from inside the penalty spot.
Delaware State's tally in the 58th minute by Cain, assisted by Wilcox, capped a Hornet flurry after a cross in front caromed to the foot of Cain, who chipped the ball into the goal over NJIT's Bersett, who had come off her line a couple of steps in a bid to patrol the area in front of her net.
David, the NJIT sophomore keeper, who entered cold with 21:17 remaining after Bersett was forced from the lineup, made the save of the night just under two minutes after coming on, when she laid out for a diving save on a hard 12-yard try by Julia Bossert of the Hornets.
Although the Highlanders have two home contests remaining on the 2014 schedule, they honored their five seniors in pre-match ceremonies Friday. The honorees were: Cislo, who has started every game in her four-year career;
Megan Dellavalle;
Kylie Jones;
Grace Seely; and,
Rebecca Tustin.
Attending Senior Night was a long-distance effort for the parents and/or families of several seniors. Jones and Seely are both from England and both had parents cross the Atlantic to attend the game.
Kylie Jones' mom made her appearance a surprise, with her daughter unaware of the visit until her mother was announced over the PA system. Dellavalle's family came in from their California home, while the two East Coast senior, Cislo from Maryland and Tustin from South Jersey had their usual contingents of family support.
NJIT, which had not played home since September 28 before hosting Delaware State, has a quick turnaround before another home game when it hosts Columbia on Sunday at 4 pm.
