Game 7	NJIT (2-3-1; 6-12-1 in 2021) at Rider (1-4-0; 10-7-3 in 2021)
Date | Time	Sunday, September 18 | 4pm
Location | Field	Lawrenceville, NJ | Ben Cohen Field
All-Time Series	Rider leads 9-4-3 (overall); 5-2-2 (NJIT DI era)
Watch	Broncs Vision
Live Stats	In-Game Statistics

NEWARK, NJ–NJIT, which has played its first six matches on the road, will conclude its season-opening road swing on Sunday, September 18 at Rider.  

Game Information
The match is set to kickoff at 4pm at Ben Cohen Field.  The match will be streamed live and in-game statistics will be available for free at www.GoBroncs.com.

All-Time Series
Rider leads the all-time series 9-4-3 and 5-2-2 in the NJIT Division I era (first season of Division I competition - 2004).  The last time the two teams met was in Newark on August 30, 2021 with the end result being a 2-2 double overtime draw.

Last Time Out
Villanova's Balthi Saunders scored a pair of early goals in the first half and the Wildcats held on for the 3-0 victory over visiting NJIT Wednesday afternoon at Higgins Soccer Complex.

The Highlanders held a 21-14 advantage in overall shots and 7-5 in shots on goal, led by freshman Sergio Martinez Cubel, who combined for five shots. 

NJIT Notes
NJIT's Fernando Barboto enters his seventh season at the helm of the Highlanders.  

In 2019, Barboto guided the NJIT men's soccer program in capturing the ASUN Tournament and Regular Season title.  The 2019 ASUN Conference Coach of the Year along with his coaching staff, who was named United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year,  led the Highlanders to the first NCAA appearance at the Division I level (first round; at Providence on November 21, 2019).

Under Barboto, the Highlanders have made postseason appearances in five-out-of-six seasons (2021, 2020 in AE; 2019, 2018, 2017 in the ASUN Tournament).

The 32-man roster consists of 18 returners from the America East semifinals team and 13 newcomers.

Sophomore Goncalo Franco is the lone Highlander returning for the 2022 season who earned 2021 America East All-Conference accolades (All-Rookie Team).

Scouting the Highlanders
NJIT has collected wins against James Madison and La Salle while tying Drexel and falling to UConn, Iona and Villanova.  The Highlanders were ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll during the first two weeks of competition.

Asembo Augo and Goncalo Franco lead the Highlanders with two goals apiece while freshman Maximus Barboto, who has earned America East Conference Rookie of the Week twice this season thus far, is the son of head coach Fernando Barboto.  He leads NJIT with three assists, while Jose Del Valle has added a goal and an assist.

Senior co-captain Reisgys has played every minute of all six matches in goal for the Highlanders this season, posting a 1.83 goals-against average and a .667 saves percentage. His 203 career saves ranks second in the NJIT DI era and three shy of the NJIT DI record. 

2022 Captains
NJIT head men's soccer coach Fernando Barboto announced senior goalkeeper Reisgys and Franco, NJIT's midfielder, as team captains to lead the Highlanders in the 2022 season.

Reisgys was named to the 2021 America East All-Academic team, starting every match (18) but one while Franco was selected to the America East All-Rookie team, netting a pair of goals in his first season at NJIT.

America East Conference
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). The Highlanders were selected to finish fifth in the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll.

Scouting Rider
Rider will play for the first time at home this season when the Broncs welcome NJIT.  The Broncs opened the season with five-straight road contests. The last time Rider played as many as five-straight games away from home to start the season and had its home opener so late on the calendar was 2008, when the Broncs played their first six games at road or neutral fields, before playing in Lawrenceville for the first time on Sept. 21.

After dropping four-straight games to open the season at Seton Hall, Virginia, Penn and Rutgers, the Broncs responded with a 2-0 clean sheet at Central Connecticut last time out.

Adel Al Masude leads Rider with a pair of goals so far this season, including tallies in each of the last two games at Rutgers and Central Connecticut. The goal against the Blue Devils was the game winner.

Guillaume Veinante has played every minute in net so far this season for the Broncs, posting a 2.20 goals-against average and a .621 saves percentage. 

Next Up
NJIT will open its 2022 home campaign on Tuesday, September 20 at 7pm when the Highlanders host Sacred Heart.  The 2022 season marks the first time NJIT opened up the season with seven road contests.  In 2017, NJIT opened the season on a five-match road swing.