| Game 1 |
St. John's (0-0) |
| Date | Time |
Thursday, August 19, 2021 | 7:00 pm |
| Location | Arena |
Queens, N.Y. | Belson Stadium |
| All-Time Series |
First Meeting |
| Live Stats |
In-game statistics (free) |
| Live Video |
ESPN3 |
NEWARK, N.J. --- The 2021-22 NJIT Athletics season will kick off Thursday evening with the Highlander women's soccer team traveling to New York to face the St. John's Red Storm. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
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.
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
ALL-TIME SERIES
NJIT and St. John's will be meeting for the first time ever and the matchup will pit the Highlanders against a member of the Big East Conference for the first time in program history. Seton Hall, who the Highlanders will host on August 26, were set to be NJIT's first Big East opponent last year in the 2020 season opener but inclement weather forced their matchup to be cancelled.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
St. John's finished 2020 with a 5-4-3 (2-4-3 BE) record and will bring back 11 starters from that team, including 2021 spring All-BIG EAST Second Team selection and 2021 fall Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Zsani Kajan, last season's top goal scorer Jessica Garziano, and veteran goalkeeper Naya Lipkens.
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.
