TEANECK, NJ—NJIT freshman Lizzy Wolfe scored her first college goal in the 85th minute to break a 1-1 tie and send NJIT to a 2-1 victory against visiting Hartford at University Field Monday afternoon on the Fairleigh Dicksinson campus.

Monday's result starts the 2016 season for NJIT, 2-0, marking the first time the Highlanders have opened the season schedule with wins in their first two tries.  The Highlanders won the 2016 season-opener 3-0 victory over Wagner last Friday.

Hartford, which captured back-to-back America East regular season titles in 2014 and 2015, and was selected to finish second in the latest preseason America East Coaches poll, drops to an even 1-1 on the season.

With construction for NJIT's Wellness and Events Center ongoing at the University Heights campus in Newark, the match with Hartford was first slated to be played at Kean University's East Campus Field in Union on Monday at 4 pm. However, playing conditions at Kean led to another move, this one to FDU's University Field with a 3 pm kickoff. 
 
The Highlanders came by their upset win over Hartford honestly, going up in the 14th minute as sophomore Neema Liverpool netted her second goal of the season.  Classmate Arianna Gerber took the ball down the left side of the field and sent a crossing pass behind two Hartford defenders, to find a speeding Liverpool, who scored on a low shot from just inside the box that went past a diving Jessica Jurg, Hartford's goalkeeper.

The 1-0 lead held for about 50 minutes before Hartford evened the score, 1-1, at 64:56 on a goal by senior Caitlin Smallfield, her first of the season, assisted by Skylar Vitiello. The play began with a shot by Vitiello inside the box. The try was blocked and rebounded by Smallfield, who scored to the left of NJIT keeper, Karen David.

Undeterred, NJIT regained the lead, 2-1, in the 85th minute on Wolfe's tally,  assisted by sophomore Noelle Batista.  Wolfe received the ball from Batista just past midfield and carried down the field with a defender on her hip before beating the Hartford keeper to the left of the box.

Visiting Hartford lost despite outshooting the Highlanders 15-7 overall.  NJIT outshot the visitors, 5-4, in shots on goal. Hawks goalkeeper Jurg stopped three NJIT shots – one in the opening half and two in the second period.

NJIT goalkeeper Karen David registered her second win of the season in goal.  David made three saves in the win.

Hartford's calling card is an airtight defense that allowed as many as two goals in a game just one time in 2015. That came in a 2-1 defeat vs. UAlbany in the championship game of the 2015 America East Conference championship tournament. Otherwise, the Hartford defense held its opposition either scoreless or to a single goal in all of the other 2015 contests.

The Highlanders, in a four-match stretch at home, will host Quinnipiac on Friday, August 26 at 4pm on the campus of Kean University in Union, NJ.