NEWARK, NJ—It would have been difficult to script a better Senior Night as far as NJIT men's soccer was concerned. After honoring their five seniors before the game, the Highlanders went out and scored a 5-0 Sun Belt Conference win over visiting Howard Saturday on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
In netting two goals in the first half and three in the second, NJIT (7-5-4) snapped a two-game skid that included the Highlanders' first Sun Belt Conference defeat, a 1-0 loss at Hartwick exactly one week earlier. They are 2-1 in conference play following the win over Howard (1-1-1 Sun Belt; 2-13-2 overall).
 
Although the Bison have a poor overall record, all of their success has come since October 11, when they tied Appalachian State in the Sun Belt opener. They followed that with a non-conference win over Pitt of the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference and then a Sun Belt win at Georgia Southern. The 2-0-1 streak ended earlier this week at traditional national power Wake Forest, also of the ACC, on October 21.
 
In taking the 2014 home finale, NJIT finishes 6-0-3 in its nine home games, the first undefeated home season since 1993, when the program competed at the Division III level. The 1993 Highlanders were 6-0-1 at home and 9-5-4 overall, guided by TJ Kostecky, who currently is the long-time head coach of LIU Brooklyn, which, coincidentally, is one of the six teams NJIT defeated at home this season.
 
NJIT honored its five seniors in pre-game ceremonies and three of them got on the score sheet, paced by Cristian Marcel, whose 5 points on two goals and an assist were the most by an individual since NJIT began Division I competition in 2004 (11 times, including Marcel in the 2014 opener, NJIT players had previously scored 4 points in a game).
 
The two other seniors to collect points Saturday on Senior Night were Matija Blazic, who scored his first goal of the season, and Jason Chippy, who assisted on Marcel's second goal. Also honored, but not on Saturday's score sheet were Marko Drljic, NJIT's career Division I points leader (37 on 11 goals and 15 assists), and DJ Diveny.
 
The other goal scorers for NJIT vs. Howard were sophomore Stephen McGeever, assisted by freshman Phillip Costa, and junior Joshua Mercer, who picked up his fourth goal of the season with an assist from freshman Brett Conrads.
 
Marcel's two goals on the night vaulted him into the 2014 team lead at five. He has 10 career goals (4th in the Division I era) and 26 points (5th).
 
NJIT dominated the team statistics, outshooting the Bison, 30-2 overall and 10-2 in on-target attempts. The Highlanders had an 11-2 lead in corner kicks, as well.
 
The game took a major turn 7:44 in, when Howard's starting goalkeeper Eric Hamilton was red-carded for an intentional hand ball outside the penalty area. NJIT's Chippy was on a breakaway and Hamilton came out to meet him, exiting the box and reaching above his head to catch Chippy's shot at least two steps out into the field. The ejection did not change things immediately, but Howard played the last 82:16 down a man, who happened to be the only Bison to play in goal through the previous 16 games.
 
By game's end, each team used two goalkeepers. Howard's red-carded starter, Hamilton, made one save in 7:44 and sophomore Jordan Austin, in his first action of the year, made four saves in 82:16. Christian Foust started for NJIT and made both Highlander saves in the opening 61:05 and freshman Max Bradhe went the last 28:55 without needing a save.
 
Playing a man down, the Bison avoided a near-goal when NJIT's Blazic hit a shot that rattled off the crossbar in the 12th minute. However, the Highlanders finally broke through in earnest at 17:14 on Marcel's first tally, with Mercer assisting. Mercer worked the ball down the middle into the top of the goal area and tapped a pass to his right, where Marcel, with a running start, struck the ball inside the left post.
 
Chippy, who is a track sprinter for NJIT in the spring, had too much speed for the Howard back line. It was his breakaway shot that was broken up on the early handball that prompted Hamilton's red card and the backup keeper Austin fouled Chippy outside the box on another breakaway. The senior continued to be part of the storyline, hitting the crossbar in the 23rd minute.
 
Chippy would gain an assist 15 minutes after that on Marcel's and NJIT's second goal in the 38th minute. Maneuvering in traffic in front of the goal, Chippy spotted Marcel unmarked at the doorstep near the left post. Chippy, who likely could have gotten off a dangerous try of his own, instead fed Marcel, who tucked the ball over the goal line.
 
Leading 2-0 at the break after a first half in which it outshot Howard 16-0, NJIT pulled away in the second half, beginning when Blazic connected on his first goal of the season, assisted by Marcel, who earned his program DI-record fifth point on the play.
 
Howard managed its first shot of the night in the 58th minute, when Austin Williams got off a running 15-yarder that NJIT's Foust saved.
 
McGeever scored his second goal of the season and fourth of his career in the 64th minute, assisted by  Costa. Operating in the box, Costa sent a pass that was deflected off the leg of a Howard defender and straight to McGeever, who scored from six yards.
 
Mercer capped the scoring for NJIT at 80:19 with help from Conrads. Mercer had taken a corner kick moments earlier and came into the play after lofting a serve in front of the goal. Conrads controlled and sent a pass to Mercer, who took one step with the ball and fired into the goal.
 
NJIT will play its last two regular season games on the road in the Sun Belt Conference. The Highlanders will visit Georgia Southern on November 2 at 2 pm and then Appalachian State in Boone, NC, on November 8. The Sun Belt Conference begins on November 13, with all six teams coming together at Georgia Southern in Statesboro.