Post Game Interview        Senior Day Photo Gallery

NEWARK, NJ—For more than 96 minutes, the NJIT defense, backstopped by a record-setting 18-save performance from senior goalkeeper Samantha Bersett, had an answer for everything Lipscomb threw at the Highlanders. But Lady Bisons senior Alex Hickey's golden goal in the 97th minute lifted her team to a 1-0 victory in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win, Lipscomb, from Nashville, Tennessee, completes the regular season with a 6-1 record in the Atlantic Sun Conference and an overall mark of 11-3-4. NJIT finishes 0-7 in its debut A-Sun season and 2-14 overall. Lipscomb advances to the A-Sun postseason tournament, which begins next Saturday, while NJIT ends its season after finishing out of the top six in the regular season standings.
 
The game was played overwhelming in Lipscomb's offensive end, as the visitors enjoyed a 38-6 advantage in overall shots, including 20-3 in shots on goal. The visitors also had an 11-1 advantage in corner kicks.
 
Hickey's game-winner for Lipscomb, her fifth goal of the season, was assisted by freshman Dominique Diller, who found Hickey wide open in the box and sent the pass to the senior, who fired a quick, high shot from about 10 yards out to win the game.
 
Diller, who came off the Lipscomb bench, had hit the crossbar twice on earlier shots from outside the box, hitting the frame once in the 76th minute and again in the 94th minute.

Lipscomb goalie Anna Buhigas made three saves for her 12th shutout of the season.
 
NJIT entered the match with a defense-oriented game plan, which it kept all match against a Lipscomb side whose only losses came against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, both of the Southeastern Conference (both by 2-0 scores), and 2-1 in overtime a week ago Friday in an A-Sun first-place showdown with Florida Gulf Coast.
 
The Highlanders defense avoided breakdowns until the deciding goal nearly seven minutes into extra time. But until then, Bersett was there to keep her team in the game, as she notched a school-record 18 saves, three more than the old mark. Bersett had 15 saves in October of her freshman year in 2012 against Utah Valley and the total was reached previously during the program's Division II era in 1997 and again in its first Division I season in 2006.
 
Bersett's 18 saves vs. Lipscomb were the third-highest total nationally this year in Division I, topped only by Romina Kunze, who saved 26 for Saint Francis (PA) vs. Pitt and by Lauren Cadel's 19 saves for Bowling Green against Valparaiso.
 
NJIT honored eight seniors in ceremonies prior the game. In addition to Bersett, who was a four-year starter in goal and ranks first or second in nearly every school individual record, the honorees were: Alex Adam, who played in 67 games, starting 58; Larissa Beer, who converted to forward this year after previously serving as a reserve goalkeeper; Abi Fakolujo, who played in 60 career games; Kaelyn Gamel, who missed this season due to injury after scoring five times in the previous two seasons; Madeline Griep, who started 65 of the 66 games she played; Danielle Pierce, who started 58 of her 60 career games; and Jaclyn Ward, who had two assists this season and made 29 career starts.