NEWARK, NJ—When does a tie feel like a victory? The NJIT women's soccer team is qualified to answer the question following a 0-0 double overtime tie with visiting Columbia late Sunday afternoon on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
The Highlanders who came into the match with seven players out of uniform due to injury, lost two more to injury in the course of Sunday's game, while others were hurt enough for the referee to stop the clock at various times.
 
Against that background NJIT (3-11-1) managed to keep Columbia (5-2-5) off the scoreboard for 110 minutes.
 
The last woman on the Highlander defense, sophomore Karen David, had a big part in the shutout, as she made 11 saves and was strong in the air in front of her goal on Columbia's eight corner kicks. David's shutout was her second and it was the third clean sheet of the year for NJIT as team.
 
On the other end, Lion sophomore Allison Spencer did not need a save to achieve her shutout. It was Spencer's first of the year as she became the third Columbia keeper to blank an opponent. In all, the Lions have 6 shutouts as a team and have conceded just 8 combined goals in their 12 games to date.
 
The shots totals overwhelmingly favored the visitors, 26-1 overall, including 11-0 in shots on target. Columbia produced 10 shots in each of the two halves and three each in the two overtime periods, but none got past David.
 
Five different Lions recorded at least three shots, topped junior Elly McGufrog's five, four of which were on frame.
 
The NJIT goalie made a big stop in 75th minute on an open 10-yard shot by Columbia's Madeline Linde. Attempting a pass out into the field with her feet, David was picked off by Linde, who fired back at the keeper, who made a diving stop.
 
With their spate of injuries, the Highlanders played with 10 over the last 18 minutes of overtime after Brittany Goulart was helped off the field and couldn't return.
 
David made two saves in the second overtime, but her biggest play of the final minutes didn't get recorded as any kind of statistic in the box score.
 
The Lions were awarded a corner kick in the 108th minute and sophomore Cadie Naquin restarted play from the right corner. Naquin sent the corner kick into a group of players from both sides in front of the net, but David went high to pick it off and then held on when she was bumped to the ground.
 
NJIT will visit Lafayette on Wednesday at 7 pm.