NEWARK, NJ--NJIT will return to America East Conference action on Saturday, October 9, hosting Vermont at 3pm on Homecoming Weekend at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
Homecoming, Saturday, October 9
Pack Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium and join the Student Section to wave flags and cheer on the Highlanders. The first 300 students to attend will receive a foam Highlanders Sword!
Game Information
Kickoff is set for 3pm at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium. The match will be streamed live on America East TV with in-game statistics available on www.NJITHighlanders.com.
All-Time Series
Vermont leads the all-time series, 2-0. Vermont picked up a 1-0 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Spring America East Conference Tournament and won earlier during the season on March 19, 2-1, in Burlington, VT with the game-winning goal coming in the final minute of play.
Last Time Out for NJIT
The NJIT men's soccer team moved back into the win column with a 2-1 victory over visiting Loyola Maryland Tuesday evening in men's soccer non-conference at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
Graduate student Tomas Jorge scored his second goal of the season, putting the Highlanders on top in the 26th minute.
Fifth-year senior Rene White scored NJIT's second goal of the game in the 62nd minute, recording his eighth goal of the season. For his career, White tallied his 46th career goal and 101th career point. His 46 career goals tops Division I active career leaders while his 101 career points ranks tied for first with SMU's Gabriel Costa.
NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Career Active List
NJIT graduate students Rene White and Regsan Watkins are ranked the top four in goals and top three in points among NCAA Division I active career men's soccer leaders as of October 6.
White, from Bloomfield, NJ, ranks first in the NCAA in career goals (46) and tied for first in points (101) while teammate Watkins, from Capetown, South Africa sits tied for second in goals (38) and fourth in points (91).
A 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team honoree, White ranks third all-time in the record books in goals and fourth in points while holding the NJIT Division I record for total goals.
Watkins, the 2021 America East Conference Striker of the Year, ranks fourth all-time at NJIT in goals and fifth in points. The Highlander forward played two seasons at Bloomfield College prior to attending NJIT, tallying 22 goals.
2021-22 Senior CLASS Award candidates
NJIT fifth-year seniors Rene White and Regsan Watkins join a list of 60 NCAA men's and women's student-athletes selected as the 2021-22 Senior CLASS Award candidates. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.
2021 National Rankings
NJIT's White ranks tied for sixth in the nation in total goals with eight. His 18 total points ranks tied for 10th.
Back to "New Normal"
After playing the 2020 campaign - its first season as a member of the America East Conference (joined the league on July 1, 2020 as the 10th full member institution) - during Spring 2021 and without fans, NJIT will have the chance to play a standard fall schedule in 2021 with fans back in attendance.
NJIT's 2021 schedule features a 17-match regular season slate, including 10 matches at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium, nine non-conference contests, eight America East Conference matches and three against NCAA Tournament participants. NJIT's fall spectator policy will allow fans to attend matches while wearing masks, regardless of vaccination status.
America East Preseason Coaches' Poll
NJIT, which played its first season in the America East Conference in the Spring 2021, made the programs first-ever appearance in the postseason tournament after sitting atop Pod C with a 4-2 conference record, earning the No. 3 seed. NJIT finished the season with a 4-5-1 overall record.
The Highlanders were selected to finish third according to the vote of the nine league coaches in the 2021 Fall Preseason Coaches Poll.
Scouting the Opponent
Visiting Vermont enters Saturday's contest with a 6-3-1 overall record, 1-1-0 in the America East. The Catamounts are coming off its first America East victory, a 2-1 victory over UMBC on October 2. With the win over UMBC, the Catamounts snapped a four-match winless streak.
Nacho Lerech leads the Catamounts with five goals and two assists for 12 points followed by Alex Nagy with three goals and three assists for nine points.
Vermont was picked second in the 2021 America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, matching the highest ranking under head coach Rob Dow. The Catamounts received 57 points and one first-place vote in the preseason poll.
Next Up
NJIT will conclude its three match homestand on Wednesday, October 13, welcoming Stony Brook to Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
Stay Connected
Stay up to date during the NJIT Men's soccer season by following @NJITSoccer on Twitter and Instagram and liking the NJIT Men's Soccer page on Facebook.
