Post Game Interview

NEWARK, NJ—LIU Brooklyn scored the only goal of the first half and then added an important insurance goal in the 68th minute that enabled the visiting Blackbirds to leave NJIT with a 2-1 non-conference women's soccer victory Tuesday night on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
 
LIU, which played its last non-conference road game, lifted its won-lost record to 3-7 with Tuesday's victory over NJIT. The Blackbirds will play a non-conference home game in mid-October, with the rest of their 2015 schedule otherwise limited to Northeast Conference play.
 
NJIT is 2-7 with a non-conference home game next week plus the remainder of the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule still to play.
 
LIU Brooklyn's first goal was the third of the season for Israeli freshman Marian Awad, who found the back of the net at 40:28 with an assist from senior Lucy Gunton-Jones. The play began with a pass from the right side into the box from Gunton-Jones. Awad finished the play with a goal from near the penalty spot.
 
The visitors made it 2-0 35 minutes into the final period when junior Allegra Ondrejka took a high shot from 25 yards away. NJIT goalkeeper Karen David got a piece of the ball and deflected it up toward the crossbar. But the backspin on the shot sent the subsequent carom off the bar backwards and over the goal line.
 
The Highlanders, who would finish with a 13-9 advantage in overall shots, including an 8-3 edge in shots on goal, finally broke through with a goal from freshman Nicole Baldassini, assisted by classmate Alex Gilgorri.
 
In one of NJIT's better-executed attacks of the season, Gilgorri sent the ball forward to Baldassini's foot at the left of the goal. Baldassini made a move toward the inside to create a better angle for her shot and drilled the ball inside the far post from about 10 yards out and past the reach of sprawling LIU Brooklyn keeper Erin Harrison.
 
Baldassini's goal came with 9:26 remaining, but NJIT despite having more of the ball in the remaining time managed one more shot, by Neema Liverpool, that was saved by LIU's Harrison.
 
Harrison was strong in goal for the visitors, coming a away with seven saves to go with the one late goal that got past her. NJIT's David, making her first start and third appearance overall in 2015, was credited with one save.
 
The Highlander defense received a boost from the return to action of central defender Jamee Simone, who started and played for the first time since September 25 last year. One of the team's top freshmen in 2013, Simone was sidelined by injury after six games a season ago. She missed 12 games in 2014 plus the first eight this season.
 
NJIT, 0-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference play, will return to the A-Sun for a game in Georgia on Saturday at 1 pm against first-time opponent Kennesaw State.