NEWARK, N.J. — This weekend, NJIT women's soccer redshirt junior goalkeeper Molly Saylor was honored by the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) as NJIT's Woman of the Year. 

The NJAIAW recognizes the athletic, academic, and community contributions of outstanding female student-athletes from the Garden State's high schools, junior colleges, and four-year colleges and universities. 

Saylor and the other honorees from across the state - who were being lauded as the organization and country celebrates the 50th anniversary of Title IX - were recognized Sunday afternoon during the Seton Hall - Creighton women's basketball game.

In three seasons as the Highlanders' primary keeper, the South Park, PA native has started all 44 games she has played, made 251 total saves and holds the program record for career shutouts (14) and single season shutouts (America East leading nine in 2021, tied with Amelia Sapirman). Saylor has earned conference honors in two leagues (Second Team America East, 2021, All-Freshman and All-Tournament ASUN, 2019) and was named America East Defensive Player of the Week twice in her career (Oct. 18, 2021; Mar. 2, 2021 - 2020 season).

Behind Saylor's leadership of the NJIT defensive unit, the Highlanders earned the No. 3 seed in the 2021 America East Tournament and hosted the first home league tournament contest since NJIT joined the conference in July 2020. 

Academically, Saylor - who was named to the America East All-Academic Team in 2021 - has maintained a grade point average of 3.80 and will graduate NJIT with a degree in Civil Engineering.

Saylor is the second straight Women's Soccer student-athlete and the fourth in the last decade to earn NJIT"s honor from the NJAIAW, joining former Highlander standouts Nicole Loehle (2021), Samantha Bersett (2016), and Jenny Cislo (2015)