Game 4	at Drexel (3-0)
Date | Time	Sunday, August 28 | 1:00 pm
Location | Arena	Philadelphia, PA | Vidas Field
All-Time Series	Drexel leads 4-2
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	FloFC ($)

NEWARK, N.J. — The NJIT women's soccer team will continue its three-game road trip and face another early season test when the Highlanders face undefeated Drexel (3-0) Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.

LAST TIME OUT 
NJIT picked up its second draw against a Big East opponent in as many games after playing Seton Hall to a scoreless tie on Thursday evening. The Highlanders had several opportunities to steal the game from their cross-county foes (two in the first half and one in the closing minutes of the second) but couldn't capitalize, yet its strong defensive effort kept the Pirates at bay as well. 

NEWS AND NOTES TO KNOW
16: Redshirt senior Molly Saylor registered her 16th career shutout against Seton Hall Thursday, extending her NJIT school record and placing her within the NCAA Top 30 for career shutouts (currently tied for No. 30 with Loyola (MD)'s Paige Sim.

8: The number of America East weekly awards NJIT Women's Soccer has won all-time after sophomore Ciara Adams earned the first Offensive Player of the Week award on August 22. Adams scored a brace in the Highlanders' 4-0 season-opening win against LIU on August 18.

Thursday's draw with Seton Hall kept the program's overall unbeaten streak alive at eight games, dating back to last season's five-match run (3-0-2 to close the year). The current stretch without a loss is the longest in program history.

605:32: The final length of NJIT's school record shutout streak that started with those final final games of 2021 and ended with St. John's first goal on August 21.

2: NJIT has scored multiple goals in two games this season after only doing so one time in 19 contests in 2021.

44: The difference between the number of career games it took for Caminos (46) and Ramos (2) to net their first career goals against St. John's.

4: In the season opener, NJIT held LIU's offensive attack in check, only allowing the Sharks to register four total shots. The last time the Highlander defense conceded four shots or fewer in a victory was against Wagner on Sept. 2, 2021 (1-0 win, four shots allowed).

7: Head coach Ally Nick is in her seventh season as head coach of the Highlanders. Nick compiled a 42-46-11 (17-24-4 conference) record in six seasons prior to 2022, including three conference tournament appearances in six years (2018-19 ASUN, 2021 AE)

30: NJIT is running with a 30-woman roster consisting of: 21 returners from last season's America East quarterfinal team, eight freshmen and transfer Lily Bray.

3: Three returners from 2021 were honored by the America East last season: Redshirt senior Molly Saylor (Second Team All-AE, AE All-Academic), Fifth Year Siani Magruder (Second Team All-AE, AE All-Championship Team), and sophomore Caroline Caputo (AE All-Rookie Team)

This will also be NJIT's third season in the America East after the school joined the league in July 2020. However, it will be the Highlanders' first AE campaign after a proper offseason (2020 was played in Spring 2021 due to COVID and 2021 was played the following fall). 

7: This year's roster hails from seven different places (five states, two countries): New Jersey (16 players), Pennsylvania (5), Virginia (4), New York (2), North Carolina, New Zealand, and Portugal.

2: A pair of successful local coaches joined Coach Nick's staff for the 2022 campaign. Ariana Ruela (former head coach at Rutgers-Newark) and Graeham Gotrell (former Montclair State women's and men's soccer assistant coach) were hired this summer after the departures of longtime assistants Mary Hearin (Delaware) and Chris Duggan (Princeton)

60: Sixty percent of NJIT's offense from 2021 is back on the pitch this season. Bailey Chant is the Highlanders' leading returning scorer (3 G, 2 A) while six other players registered a goal last season (Angela Harris, Ciara Adams, Aleesha Deshmukh, Briana Ramirez, Emma Bitar, Taylor Pape).

5: After earning the No. 3 seed and hosting the first-ever America East Tournament home game in NJIT history, the Highlanders were voted to finish tied for this year's Preseason Poll by the league's head coaches.

2022 STATS LEADERS
Goals: Ciara Adams - 2
Assists: Aleesha Deshmukh - 2
Points: Adams - 4
Shots: Daniella Vito - 3
Saves: Molly Saylor - 10
GAA: Saylor - 0.67

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
NJIT and Drexel have faced off six times prior to Sunday's matchup, with Drexel holding a 4-2 edige in the all-time series. In their last meeting (the 2020 season opener played on February 21, 2021), NJIT earned a 3-1 win behind a brace from Corbin Reifschneider and another score from Alexis Ocampo. After falling in their first four matchups, NJIT has won the last two, including their last meeting prior to the 2020 campaign, a 2-1 double overtime victory on September 4, 2009.

The Dragons have been impressive to start the year, winning their first three games on the road (3-1 vs Loyola (MD), 2-0 vs Marist, 3-2 vs Lehigh) without trailing once. Drexel is led by Casey Touey (3 G), Annalena O'Reilly (2 G), and Molly Piso (180:00 mins, 1.00 GAA, 5 saves).

NEXT UP
NJIT will wrap up its current road trip with a contest against Wagner on Wednesday, August 31. Kickoff in Staten Island is scheduled for 7 p.m.