Game 17	UAlbany (4-6-4, 3-2-2 AE)
Date | Time	Sunday, October 24 | 1:00 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
All-Time Series	UAlbany leads 5-0
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	AmericaEast.TV

NEWARK, N.J. --- NJIT Women's Soccer (5-10-1, 3-3-1 AE) closes out its 2021 home schedule on Sunday afternoon as the Highlanders host the UAlbany Great Danes (4-6-4, 3-2-2 AE).

LAST TIME OUT
NJIT picked up its first-ever America East road victory on October 17 with a 1-0 shutout against the New Hampshire Wildcats. Fifth-year Christine Conaghy came off the bench in the first half to score the game-winning goal (19') off an assist from senior Whitney Roth.

OVERCOMING ROAD WOES
NJIT's road conference win over UNH was the program's first since a win at North Alabama in ASUN Conference play on September 29, 2019. The win also snapped a 13-match road winless streak that started after the North Alabama victory (0-11-2 during that span).

MAKING IT COUNT
The stat that personified the Highlanders' determination against UNH: NJIT was outshot 18-2 - with both shots coming from Conaghy - and still won the game. It marked the first time in NJIT's Division I history (since 2006) that the Highlanders won a game with as few total shots as they took on Sunday. NJIT's previous low shot tally in a victory was four in a 1-0 win over Delaware State on Oct 10, 2014.

SAYLOR HONORED
NJIT picked up its third America East weekly award on October 18 after redshirt junior Molly Saylor was named Defensive Player of the Week. Saylor stood out for a Highlander defensive unit that secured a pair of road shutouts in a 1-0-1 week in America East action. The South Park native stopped all 14 shots she faced in games at UMBC (Oct. 14, 0-0 tie) and New Hampshire (Oct. 17. 1-0 win).

Against UMBC, Saylor posted her second double-digit save effort of the season and fourth of her career with a career-high-tying ten stops. She added four saves to help lead NJIT to its first-ever America East road win against New Hampshire.

Saylor currently leads the America East with 88 total saves and is top-five in the league in shutouts (6; 4th), shutouts per game (.375. 5th), and saves per game (5.50, 5th).

Saylor joined Bailey Chant (Offensive) and Siani Magruder (Defensive) as weekly award winners this season.

Chant and Magruder were named America East Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, on September 7.

Chant led the Highlanders to wins over Wagner (1-0) and Saint Peter's (6-0) with a league-best six points (2 G, 2 A) last week. Chant's corner kick assist set up freshman Taylor Pape's game-winning header against Wagner and she accounted for half of NJIT's goals (the first two scores and another assist) against Saint Peter's. 

Magruder anchored the Highlander back line in its two shutout victories, playing all 180 minutes and helping limit Wagner and Saint Peter's to two total shots on goal (one each game).   Magruder also chipped in on the offensive side, adding two assists against Saint Peter's - including one to Chant - for her first career game with more than one assist or goal.

The honors bring NJIT's all-time America East weekly awards total to six, including the Highlanders' three laurels from the 2020 season (played in Spring 2021): Corbin Reifschneider's Offensive and Rookie honors (Feb. 23) and Saylor's Defensive award (Mar. 2).

PERFECT 10
Redshirt junior Molly Saylor posted ten saves in the draw at UMBC on October 14, marking the fourth time she made that many stops in a single game. She originally set her high water mark against North Florida on October 6, 2019 and matched it once during the 2020 season (at Maine, March 14, 2021) and once prior this season (at Pittsburgh, August 29).

Saylor's shutout against UMBC was also the tenth of her career (four in 2019, 1 in 2020, five so far in 2021). Saylor added an 11th shutout on October 17 against UNH (1-0).

FIGURING IT OUT
After failing to register an America East conference win in its first season in the league (2020; played Spring 2021), NJIT won back-to-back conference games (Maine and Stony Brook) for the first time since opening 2019 ASUN play with a 2-0 shutout against Stetson (Sept. 26) and a 2-1 victory at North Alabama (Sept. 29).

MS. 200
After making two saves against Maine on September 26, redshirt junior Molly Saylor became the fourth Highlander to log 200 or more saves in a career, joining Sadie Mele (2007-10), Samantha Bersett (2012-15), and Karen David: 209 (2014-17)

SET IT OFF
NJIT's win over Stony Brook was the fourth match where the Highlanders scored directly off a free kick or corner kick (NJIT went 3-1 in those games):

• Saint Peter's (Aug. 26, W): Briana Ramirez Olimpico (goal from corner)
• Wagner (Sept. 2, W): Bailey Chant corner to Taylor Pape header
• At Rider (Sept. 8, L): Caroline Caputo corner to Ciara Adams header
• Stony Brook (Sept. 30, W): Angela Harris free kick to Yasmeen Malik header

CLEAN SHEETS
With wins over Wagner and Saint Peter's, NJIT posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since August 31 and September 5, 2019 when the Highlanders blanked Saint Peter (2-0) and Rider (5-0) respectively.

The last time NJIT shut out at least two straight conference foes before its wins over Maine and Stony Brook was in 2018 when the Highlanders blanked three straight ASUN opponents: At North Florida (Sept. 28, 1-0), at Jacksonville (Sept. 30, 4-0), and FGCU (Oct. 4, 1-0). The Maine and Stony Brook wins also mark NJIT's first back-to-back conference home shutouts in the Division I era (since 2006).

The dominant trend of the 2021 season has been shutouts. Thirteen of NJIT's 16 contests have been clean sheets - all five wins, one draw, and seven of ten losses. The last time NJIT recorded at least four shutouts in a season was 2019 when the Highlanders blanked five opponents.

SPREAD THE WEALTH
After scoring against Binghamton on October 10, Angela Harris is the ninth different Highlander to score a goal this season, the most since 2019 (11 different goal scorers).

COMPLETE DOMINANCE
From kickoff to the final whistle, NJIT was the more aggressive, more consistent and more composed side on the field against Wagner on September 2. Offensively, the Highlanders took 19 shots, marking their first match with that many chances since rattling off 19 shots in another 1-0 home victory over Jacksonville (Oct. 24, 2019). NJIT's back line held Wagner (2-2) to four total shots, its lowest total since giving up only two shots against Saint Peter's on August 31, 2019.

NJIT also held a 6-1 edge in shots on goal, with Wagner's lone on goal chance matching Saint Peter's amount in the same 2019 matchup.

Eight different Highlanders logged a shot in the box score, led by Chant's five. Freshman Caroline Caputo and sophomore Briana Ramirez - who made her first career in the front line - each took three shots, juniors Madison Taibl and Lauren Chamberlain had a pair of chances and fifth year Tara Walenczyk joined Pape with one shot attempt.

EASY DAY AT THE OFFICE
Against Wagner (Sept. 2) and Saint Peter's (Sept. 4), redshirt junior Molly Saylor only needed to make one save in a game - after last logging one or fewer stops at LIU on September 13, 2019.

APPLYING (DEFENSIVE) PRESSURE
NJIT won the corner kick battle in its season opener at St. John's on Aug. 19, 11-8 (including a 6-0 first half advantage) and recorded double digit corners for the first time since putting up ten against LIU Brooklyn on August 19, 2018.

The Highlanders ratcheted up their pressure all-around against Seton Hall on Aug. 26, outshooting the Pirates 13-11 (first time this season), logging a 6-1 edge in corner kicks and a 7-4 lead in total saves while drawing two fewer fouls (nine to 11).

RAMPING UP
After making four saves in the opener at St. John's on Aug. 19, Molly Saylor either set or matched a season high in saves in the next three games: seven against Monmouth, seven against Seton Hall and ten against Pitt.

YOUTH MOVEMENT
A combination of merit and attrition allowed head coach Ally Nick to showcase some of her young players in the season opener at St. John's on Aug. 19. Freshmen Ciara Adams, Caroline Caputo, Daniella Vito, and Taylor Pape all made the starting lineup against St. John's, the most true freshmen to start an opener under Nick during her six seasons in Newark.

BACK TO "NEW NORMAL"
After playing the 2020 campaign - its first season as members of the America East - during Spring 2021 and without fans, NJIT will have the chance to play a standard fall schedule in 2021 with fans back in attendance.

The Highlanders will play an 18-match schedule, equally divided between home, away, non-conference, and America East contests (nine each). NJIT's fall spectator policy will allow fans to attend matches while wearing masks, regardless of vaccination status.

2021 OUTLOOK
The Highlanders will bring back 21 returners from the 2020 campaign played in Spring 2021 and welcome seven freshmen and one transfer into the program. The veteran-laden squad is primed to bounce back from an inaugural season in the America East that saw NJIT finish 2-6-1 (0-5-1 AE). 

Sixth-year head coach Ally Nick will be able to call on a quartet of fifth-year seniors exercising the extra year of eligibility afforded to them by the COVID-19 pandemic (Jennifer Callaghan, Christine Conaghy, Yasmeen Malik, Tara Walenczyk) and four members of this year's senior class (Whitney Roth, Angela Harris, and former ASUN award winners Molly Saylor and Siani Magruder) to bring the rest of the roster along to reach the program's goals.

2021 STATS LEADERS
Goals: Bailey Chant/Christine Conaghy - 3
Assists: Chant/Siani Magruder/Caroline Caputo - 2
Points: Chant - 8
Shots: Caputo/Chant - 20
Saves: Molly Saylor - 88
GAA: Saylor - 1.42
Save %: .792

2020 RETURNING STATS LEADERS
Goals: Corbin Reifschneider/Lauren Chamberlain - 2
Assists: Christine Conaghy - 1
Points: Reifschneider/Chamberlain  - 4
Shots: Chamberlain - 22
Saves: Molly Saylor - 46
GAA: Saylor - 1.33
Save %: .800

ALL-TIME SERIES
NJIT and UAlbany will be meeting for the sixth time in their history on Sunday. The Highlanders will be looking for its first all-time against the Great Danes (0-5).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
UAlbany enters Sunday's match having won three of its last four matches, all by shutout. The Great Danes are led by Jasmine (8 G, 1 A) and Jada (2 G, 1 A) Colbert and Cassandra Coster (0.80 GAA, 46 saves, .868 save pct).

NEXT UP
NJIT will close out the regular season on the road at Hartford on Thursday, October 28. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

FOLLOW US
Stay up to date during the NJIT women's soccer season by following @NJITWSoccer on Twitter and Instagram and liking the NJIT Women's Soccer page on Facebook.