Box Score
 
NEWARK, NJ— Senior captain Marko Drljic had a goal and an assist Wednesday night, pacing NJIT in a  3-1 men's soccer victory over visiting LIU Brooklyn on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
The Highlanders, who got on the board just 85 seconds in on Drljic's second goal of the year, built a 2-0 lead in the first half before allowing a penalty goal in the middle of the second half. NJIT breathed easier when Jimmy Myers headed home a goal, assisted by Drljic 2:49 from time.  The win upped NJIT's season record to 3-2-1.
 
The visiting Blackbirds, coached by one-time NJIT mentor TJ Kostecky, dropped to 0-6 with Wednesday night's defeat.
 
Kostecky, in his 16th season at the LIU helm, coached NJIT to a 68-31-11 record from 1988 to 1993 when the Highlanders were an NCAA Division III program. He is second only to legendary former coach Mal Simon (197 victories) on the all-time coaching wins list for the Highlanders.
 
NJIT's goals Wednesday were scored by three different players, starting with Drljic's score off of his own rebound in the second minute and continuing with a pair of headers by the team's two central defenders, sophomore Jonathan Onyeaka (37:25, assisted by Phillip Costa) and junior Jimmy Myers. (87:11, assisted by Drljic).


 
The 6-foot-5 Onyeaka, a first-year transfer from Queens (NC),  scored the first goal of his Highlander career and Myers, who is 6-foot-4, scored his second goal of the season in the 88th minute, allowing a cushion after they spent the previous 20-plus minutes nursing a 2-1 lead.
 
LIU's goal was on a penalty kick awarded in the 67th minute when the referee saw a foul in front of the NJIT goal area. Blackbirds senior Brice Merwine cashed in the pk to score his team-leading sixth goal of the year. He has six of LIU Brooklyn's eight goals so far in 2014.
 
The total shots for the night were close, with NJIT holding a 12-9 advantage (shots on goal were even at six each). After the Highlanders enjoyed an 8-2 lead in shots in building their 2-0 halftime lead, the Blackbirds turned the tables, outshooting the home team 7-4 over the final 45 minutes. Corner kicks were even at seven apiece.
 
NJIT goalkeeper Christian Foust earned the win with five saves, while LIU Brooklyn freshman Cole Palmer, in his first college start, stopped three shots and allowed three to get behind him.
 
Drljic got things going quickly for NJIT in the second minute on a score that went in the records as unassisted. Highlander freshman Danny Cordeiro stole the ball from the LIU defense and fed the ball to Drljic, whose first try was saved by the Blackbird goalkeeper Palmer. The LIU freshman could not control and Drljic drove the rebound into the back of the net (NCAA scoring rules negate the assist when a player scores on his own rebound, as Drljic did) 
 
The visitors escaped another quick hit when Onyeaka hit the crossbar for NJIT on a header in the 10th minute.
 
Cordeiro's blast from 12 yards out in the 37th minute was deflected over the bar by Palmer, but the ensuing corner kick resulted in the second Highlander goal. Onyeaka connected this time on a header off the corner kick by Costa, a freshman who picked up his second assist in as many games.  
 
LIU, which gradually collected itself as the first half progressed, took the fight to NJIT in the second half and was finally rewarded on Merwine's penalty kick goal got on the board with Merwine's penalty kick in the 68th minute.
 
Raffi Gregorian's 15-yard shot for the Blackbirds in the 73rd minute nearly tied the game but the ball was deflected by NJIT's Foust, who dove and got a piece of the shot, sending it wide of the left post.
 
Myers sealed the deal with a header off of a corner kick in the 88th minute. Drljic took the corner and angled it in front of the goal, where Myers easily nodded it home from the doorstep.
 
Drljic, who now has two goals, two assists and six points in 2104, raised his career total to 33 points (10 goals, 13 assists), one shy of the program Division record 34, set by Franco Gamero, who completed his career last season.


 
The Highlanders continue their long home stand with one of the biggest home games since the program made the transition to Division I, starting in 2004, On Saturday at 5 pm, the Highlanders will host Navy, ranked #22 in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America national poll.
 
NJIT has played numerous away games against ranked teams (two last year alone), but Saturday's visit from defending Patriot League champ Navy will mark the first home game for the Highlanders against a Top 25 Division I team. Navy defeated NJIT 3-1 last October in Annapolis.