Game 18	at Hartford (8-3-4, 3-2-3 AE)
Date | Time	Thursday, October 28 | 5:00 pm
Location | Arena	West Hartford, CT | Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium
All-Time Series	Hartford leads 2-1
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	ESPN3

NEWARK, N.J. --- NJIT Women's Soccer (6-10-1, 4-3-1 AE) will close out the 2021 regular season with the most important conference match in its two-year America East history on Thursday as the Highlanders take on the Hartford Hawks in West Hartford.

WHAT'S AT STAKE
After failing to register an America East conference win in its first season in the league (2020; played Spring 2021), NJIT has a chance to secure a berth in the America East tournament in its second season. With just four points separating the second through eighth place teams (UMass Lowell, NJIT, UNH, Hartford, UAlbany, Stony Brook) heading into a historic final day, the Highlanders can finish anywhere on that seed spectrum:

• No. 2 seed and a semifinal berth on November 4;
• No. 3 or No. 4 seed hosting a first round match on October 31;
• No. 5 or No. 6 seed traveling for the first round;
• Or out of the Playoffs

A victory or tie over Hartford guarantees a berth for the Highlanders while a loss leaves their destiny in the hands of the other eight teams. If NJIT makes the America East Tournament, it would mark the program's third conference postseason berth in four years across two different leagues (ASUN 2018-19).

BEST OF THE BUNCH
Of the six teams still in the running for an America East Tournament berth (UMass Lowell, NJIT, UNH, Hartford, UAlbany, Stony Brook), NJIT has the most wins in head-to-head competition amongst each other:

• NJIT: 3-1 
• Hartford: 3-1
• UMass Lowell: 2-2-1
• Stony Brook: 2-3
• UAlbany: 1-2-2
• UNH: 1-3-1

LAST TIME OUT
The Highlanders defeated UAlbany and moved closer to a playoff berth with a 1-0 Senior Day overtime victory on October 17. Fifth-year Christine Conaghy scored the game-winning goal in the 96th minute off an assist from sophomore transfer Gabby Zalot.

"MAD DAWG" BARKS BEST
Junior Madison Taibl was named America East Defensive Player of the Week on October 25, the second consecutive Highlander to earn the honor after redshirt junior Molly Saylor picked up the award on October 18 and the team's fourth weekly award of the season. Taibl and the Highlander defense did not allow a shot on goal for the final 50-plus minutes of game action against UAlbany (second half and OT) on October 24 and one of Taibl's many defensive plays directly led to NJIT's overtime golden goal against the Great Danes. 

UAlbany attempted to send a ball into the box from the right side but Taibl was able to break up the pass, gain possession and pass it ahead to start the Highlander counterattack that ended with sophomore transfer Gabby Zalot finding fifth-year Christine Conaghy for the winning score in the 96th minute.

As a team, the Highlanders are currently in the midst of a three-game shutout streak, their longest since 2018.

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).

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. Fourteen of NJIT's 17 contests have been clean sheets - all six 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.

Molly Saylor has now recorded 12 career shutouts: seven this year (including three in the last three games), one in 2020, and four in 2019.

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: Christine Conaghy - 4
Assists: Chant/Siani Magruder/Caroline Caputo - 2
Points: Conaghy - 9
Shots: Lauren Chamberlain - 23
Saves: Molly Saylor - 92
GAA: Saylor - 1.25
Save %: .807

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 - 1.79
Save %: .767

ALL-TIME SERIES
NJIT and Hartford will be meeting for the fourth time in their history. Hartford holds a 2-1 edge all time in their three previous meetings (2014-16) but NJIT won the last matchup, 2-1, on Oct. 22, 2016.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Hartford brings a matching three-game unbeaten streak, having gone 1-0-2 in those contests. The Hawks are led by Chloe Layne (6 G, 4 A), Imani Jenkins (6 G, 3 A), and Maia Perez (0.63 GAA, 65 saves, .867 save pct).

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.