NEWARK, NJ--NJIT, which will play its next three-out-of-four matches at home on the campus of Kean University East Campus will host FGCU on Thursday at 3pm in ASUN Conference action.
Highlander Sports Network
The match can be seen live on the Highlander Sports Network.
A simple way to find Highlanders Sports Network is on NJIT's official athletics website, http://www.njithighlanders.com. Near the middle of the home page, click Upcoming Events for a list of scheduled NJIT contests. After finding the event, click the camera icon to the left next to the live stats icon in the red box. That brings you to the Highlander Sports Network portal where you can access the desired program.
Last Time Out
The NJIT women's soccer team tied the school-record for wins, earning its ninth win, a 4-0 shutout victory at Jacksonville Sunday afternoon in ASUN Conference action at Southern Oaks Stadium.
Four different Highlanders found the back of the net in the Highlanders seventh shutout victory of the season.
Reigning ASUN Conference Defensive Player of the Week
Graduate student
Amelia Sapirman earned her first career ASUN Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors, following a pair of shutouts wins for the Highlanders.
Sapirman recorded 17 total saves in a pair of shutout victories over North Florida and Jacksonville in ASUN Conference action.
She set a career-high with 13 saves against North Florida, the most by an ASUN keeper this season.
The Highlander keeper backed up that performance with four more saves in a 4-0 victory at Jacksonville to give NJIT its ninth win of the year, tying a program-record for wins in a single season.
Scouting the Highlanders
NJIT (9-3-1, 3-1 ASUN) have won the last three consecutive matches and are winners of the last five-out-of-six matches.
The nine overall wins and seven shutouts thus far in 2018 tie the school record, which was set in 2017 under head coach
Ally Nick.
The Highlanders have scored at least one goal in the last 11 matches, having combined for a 22 on the season.
Freshman
Fiona Wright, the NJIT single-season goal leader with eight goals and 16 points, has scored a goal in four of the Highlanders last six matches. Wright ranks second in the ASUN in goals (8) and fifth in points (16) and shots (38).
Jennifer Callaghan's and
Tara Walenczyk's three goals ranks second on the team while
Katrina Nguyen-DeMary and
Arianna Gerber ranks tied for 10th in the league with four assists.
Sapirman has played every minute in goal for the Highlanders, allowing 13 goals and boasting a .840 save percentage, which ranks second in the ASUN. The graduate student ranks third in GAA in the league, giving up 0.98 per game.
ASUN Conference Preseason Poll
NJIT was selected to finish eighth, tallying 20 points in the women's soccer preseason coaches' poll.
FGCU is the conference favorite to claim its ninth-straight ASUN Regular Season title. The Eagles racked up eight first-place votes, with a total of 80 points.
Scouting the Eagles
FGCU (9-1-2, 3-1 ASUN) is coming off its first loss of the season, 1-0, against Lipscomb on September 30. The Lady Bisons Kristi Jones scored 1:18 into the contest, assisted by Olivia Doak for the lone goal of the match.
Evdokia Popadinova paces the Eagles and the ASUN in goals (10) and points (26) while ranking fourth in assists (6).
Goalkeeper Melissa Weck tops the ASUN in save percentage (.875), goals against (7) and goals against average (0.57).
NCAA Women's Soccer RPI Rankings
NJIT, winners of the last three consecutive matches, started the 2018 season with a 6-2-1 overall mark in non-conference action, the best non-conference start for the Highlanders to date.
The Highlanders surpassed its ASUN Conference wins output from a season ago, notching three wins in 2018.
NJIT enters Thursday with a 9-3-1 record, ranking in the top 150 following the national RPI rankings. Also representing the ASUN Conference is—FGCU (#52), Lipscomb (#88), Kennesaw State (#132) and NJIT (#147).
FGCU Ranked No. 30 in Hero Sports Poll
After suffering its first loss of the season, 1-0, against Lipscomb last week, FGCU dropped to No. 30 in this week's
Hero Sports poll.
Next Up
NJIT wraps up league play on the road at Stetson on October 7. The Highlanders registered a 1-0 win over the Hatters last season.
