Photo GalleryNEWARK, NJ—
Neema Liverpool scored twice in her first college women's soccer game, leading NJIT to a 5-1 victory over Saint Peter's in the 2015 season opener for both sides Friday afternoon. All six goals for the two teams were scored by first-year players.
The match, first scheduled as a home game for Saint Peter's, was moved eight miles west to Newark and NJIT's Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium due to wet field conditions in Jersey City.
Liverpool, who scored at least one goal in every game as a high school senior at Wardlaw-Hartridge School, notched her first college goal in the fifth minute, assisted by classmate
Melanie Zrno.
That marker stood as the only scoring of the first half, but Michelle Laz, also a freshman, leveled the score for Saint Peter's, unassisted, just 1:03 into the second half.
The Highlanders took control in a stretch of just more than 11 minutes, as they poured in four goals between the 73rd minute and the 84th minute. All four goals were the result of breakaways.
Liverpool, who has terrific straight-ahead speed, snapped the tie after taking a pass from junior back
Jaclyn Ward and racing in on goal to fire a shot on the run past SPU sophomore goalkeeper Taylor McLean at 72:48.
With the Peacocks sending eight players forward and keeping two defenders at the midfield stripe, 50-plus yards in front of McLean, NJIT used its superior speed on the breakaway goals.
NJIT's 2-1 lead grew to 3-1 on
Arianna Gerber's unassisted goal at 79:25, followed by unassisted scores by
Nicole Baldassini (82nd minute) and
Noelle Batista (84th minute).
Senior
Samantha Bersett started in goal and went the distance for the Highlanders, making two saves. McLean, the Saint Peter's sophomore, was credited with three saves in 90 minutes.
NJIT's five-goal output on Friday was the highest total for the Highlanders in almost six years. They last scored five vs. Delaware State in late October 2009, matching the program Division I high, first done vs. Howard in October 2007.
The match vs. Saint Peter's was officially an "away" game for NJIT, which is slated to next visit Lafayette in Easton, PA, on Monday at 7 pm.
