RIVERDALE, NY—NJIT freshman
Rene White's first collegiate goal in the 48
th minute was the difference for NJIT, which defeated Manhattan 1-0 in men's soccer non-conference action Wednesday night at Gaelic Park.
Wednesday's 1-0 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, since 2012. NJIT won the 2016 season-opener 1-0 over Fairleigh Dickinson last Friday.
The 1-0 win marks the second shutout of the season for the Highlanders and sophomore goalkeeper
Victor Pujades, who needed just one save for his second personal clean sheet of the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Connor Hayes made one stop in goal for Manhattan and the Jaspers were credited with one team save.
The defeat dropped Manhattan to 0-2 on the young season.
The game's only score came at 47:49, when White, the 2015
NorthJersey.com Player of the Year and all-time leading scorer at Hawthorne Christian Academy, received the pass on the left side from junior
Jack Flanagan, and finished with a low shot into the right corner past a diving Hayes.
NJIT's best chance in the first half, resulted in two shots in the 24
th minute. Senior
Rickardo Oldham crossed the ball from the right side to the back right corner of the box, finding junior
Mamadou Guirassy, who got the first shot off, a header, raising above the Jasper defense and senior
Victor Kausch followed with a second header, which went wide.
The Highlanders will travel to Washington, DC on September 3 and face 2015 Atlantic 10 regular season champion George Washington at 2pm. The Colonials enter the game with a 1-0-1 mark, defeating William & Mary, 2-1 and playing to a 0-0 double overtime draw with Binghamton.
In the last meeting, NJIT defeated George Washington, 1-0, in Newark on September 8, 2013.
