Game 7	vs Hartford (4-1)
Date | Time	Thursday, September 8 | 5:30 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
All-Time Series	Tied 2-2
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	AmericaEast.TV

NEWARK, N.J. — NJIT Women's Soccer will look to extend its new unbeaten streak to two games on Thursday afternoon in a non-conference matchup against former America East foe Hartford. 

LAST TIME OUT 
NJIT rallied from a second half deficit to earn a draw against Lafayette on Sunday in Newark. The game-tying score came after sophomore Caroline Caputo drew a penalty in the 64th minute. The successful PK score was the first career goal for the 2021 America East All-Rookie selection. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Molly Saylor registered her second double-digit save performance of the year against Lafayette, sending away ten shots on the afternoon.

NEWS AND NOTES TO KNOW
8, 5, 5, 3: The Highlanders have scored eight goals so far this year - five have come from headers, five have been assisted, and three have been headers assisted by Aleesha Deshmukh, including Sydney Watson's goal against Wagner on August 31.

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 (was tied for 27th in Division I prior to the Wagner game).

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 August 29. She joined sophomore Ciara Adams (August 29, Offensive POTW) as award winners for 2022.

The 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 nine-game 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 the final five games of 2021 and ended with St. John's first goal on August 21.

5: After Saylor's 14 saves 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.

7: In that same vein, the Highlanders have had seven different goal scorers (Adams, Vito, Chamberlain, Ramos, Caminos, Watson, Caputo) in only six games, which is close to 2021's total of ten different goal scorers in 19 contests.

4: The fourth tie of the year against Lafayette sets a new program record for most in a season, passing the three NJIT posted in 2005, 2012, 2016 and 2019.

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 - 3
Points: Adams - 4
Shots: Caroline Caputo/Briana Andreoli - 7
Saves: Molly Saylor - 39
GAA: Saylor - 0.83

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
NJIT and Hartford will be meeting for the fifth time overall on Thursday. The two teams split their previous four matchups, with NJIT winning the last two: 1-0 on October 28, 2021 in Hartford to seal the Highlanders' first trip to the America East Tournament; and 2-1 on August 22, 2016 in Teaneck.

Hartford, who will be transitioning to Division III over the next several years, has started their first year away from the America East with an impressive 4-1 record. The Hawks have won their last two games with a pair of 2-1 road results against Merrimack and Siena.

Hartford is led by NCAA national goals co-leader Imani Jenkins (8 G) and keeper Abigail McCarthy (450:00 mins, 1.20 GAA, 27 saves).

NEXT UP
NJIT will hit the road again but stay in New Jersey as the Highlanders travel to Jersey City to face Saint Peter's on Sunday, September 11. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.