NEWARK, N.J. — The NJIT women's soccer team will conclude its season-long three-game road trip and look to remain unbeaten on Wednesday evening when the Highlanders take on the Wagner Seahawks. 

LAST TIME OUT 
NJIT recorded its third draw of the year on Sunday afternoon, playing undefeated Drexel to a scoreless draw in Philadelphia. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Molly Saylor had a historic game between the pipes, stopping a career-high 14 shots (11 in the first half) to keep the Dragons off the board and eclipse her previous career best of ten.

NEWS AND NOTES TO KNOW
17: Saylor registered her 17th career shutout against Drexel, extending her NJIT school record and placing her within the NCAA Top 30 for career shutouts (currently tied for 27th as of Wednesday).

9: The number of America East weekly awards NJIT Women's Soccer has won all-time after Saylor was named Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. She joined sophomore Ciara Adams as award winners for 2022.

Sunday's draw with Drexel kept the program's overall unbeaten streak alive at nine 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.

5: After Saylor's heroics against Drexel, she sits in the NJIT top-five for single game saves, behind Samantha Bersett (18 against Lipscomb on Oct. 24, 2015; 15 against Utah Valley on Oct. 5, 2012), Bruna Lotufo (15 vs IPFW on Aug. 31, 2006) and Ketsia Mesidor (15 vs Bridgeport on Sept. 17, 1997).

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: Adams / Lauren Chamberlain - 4
Saves: Molly Saylor - 24
GAA: Saylor - 0.57

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
NJIT and Wagner have met eleven times since 2007 but while Wagner holds the series lead, 6-5, NJIT has won the last four meetings, including a 1-0 win last year in Newark. Wagner enters Wednesday with a 1-3 record, losing its first three matchups before defeating Manhattan on the road in its last contest, 1-0. The Seahawks lost their other game to date against America East competition, dropping a 2-1 decision at UMBC on August 25.

The Seahawks are led by Madison Carr (2 G), Claire Janis (1 G, 1 A) and Sam Hughes (270:00 mins, 2.33 GAA, 19 saves)

NEXT UP
NJIT returns to Newark on Sunday, September 4 at Noon to take on Lafayette.