Men's Soccer | 9/23/2016 5:09:00 PM
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NEWARK, NJ— NJIT will host its first home ASUN Conference match on Saturday against FGCU at 2pm on the campus of Kean University's East Facility Campus.
The Kean University East Campus Facility in Union, NJ, will serve as the home venue for both NJIT soccer teams during the upcoming season due to construction of the new Wellness and Events Center on campus in Newark off of Lock Street.
A Look at NJIT | (4-2-2, 1-0-0 ASUN)
Next Two Matches: vs. FGCU (9/24; 2 PM - Highlander Network); vs. LIU Brooklyn (9/28; 4 PM - Highlander Network)
Last Two Matches: W, 1-0 at Jacksonville; T, 2-2 (2OT) vs. Stony Brook
All four of NJIT's wins this season have been by a one-goal margin, with three of them being 1-0 scores. The four one-goal wins are tied for the most in a single season in NJIT's Division I era.
The Highlanders opened the season with 1-0 shutouts at Fairleigh Dickinson and Manhattan before tying George Washington in D.C., 1-1. NJIT then sandwiched a 3-2 win at Niagara in-between a 1-0 loss versus Rider and a 2-1 double-overtime setback opposite St. Francis Brooklyn. The Highlanders tied Stony Brook, 2-2, before tallying their goal in the 8th minute to win the programs first-ever ASUN victory against Jacksonville.
Freshman
Rene White leads NJIT with four goals, while
Mamadou Guirassy has three goals to represent the most lethal scoring threats for the Highlanders. White is tied for the league-lead with two game-winning goals.
In net, freshman
Victor Pujades has a goals-against average of just 0.79 to rank third in the ASUN while, leading the league in save percentage at .824, second in total saves with 28 and is also second in shutouts with three.
NJIT Leaders
Goals: Rene White (4)
Assists: Rickardo Oldham &
Andy Alvarez (2)
Points: Rene White (8)
Saves: Victor Pujades (28)
A Look at FGCU | (5-2-1; 0-0-0 ASUN)
Next Two Matches: at NJIT (9/24 2 PM - Highlander Network); at Rutgers (9/27; 7:30 PM - Big Ten Network Plus)
Last Two Matches: W, 5-1 vs. FAU; W, 5-0 vs. UNC Wilmington
Riding a five-match winning streak, the FGCU men's soccer program had seen one hat trick in nearly 10 years. FGCU has witnessed two this past week, as Albert Ruiz and Arion Sobers-Assue recorded hat tricks in back-to-back matches. FGCU's offense has been on fire posting back-to-back five goal matches for the first time in program history.
Ruiz set a new program single-season record with his eighth goal of the season in the win vs. FAU. He ranks third in all of Division I Men's Soccer entering this weekend, two goal shy of the leader Russell Cicerone from Buffalo. Ruiz had combined for eight goals in his previous two seasons with the Eagles.
The 21 goals scored by FGCU is tied for the most of any team in the NCAA entering this weekend's action. The last ASUN team to score five or more goals in back-to-back matches was Jacksonville in September 2010.
The last team to score five or more goals in three matches in a single season was Stetson back in 2006.
The Eagles enter the match receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Poll for the second time this year as FGCU picked up 17 points to effectively rank 32nd in the country. The Eagles are ranked #3 in the NSCAA Southeast Region Poll – one of three ASUN members represented in the region, with the others being North Florida at #5 and Lipscomb at #9.
FGCU Leaders
Goals: Albert Ruiz (8)
Assists: Albert Ruiz & Robert Ferrer (8)
Points: Albert Ruiz (19)
Saves: Sawyer Jackman (21)
