Game 2 | Home Game 2	vs Saint Peter's (0-1-0)
Date | Time	Sunday, August 20 | 1:00 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
All-Time Series | Last Meeting	NJIT leads 12-2-1 | 9/11/2022 @ SPU (2-0 NJIT)
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	AmericaEast.TV

NEWARK, N.J. — NJIT Women's Soccer (0-0-1) will play its second home game of opening weekend on Sunday afternoon as the Highlanders welcome the Saint Peter's Peacocks (0-1-0) to Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT
The Highlanders began the 2023 campaign at home with a 0-0 draw against Mount St. Mary's on Thursday evening. NJIT held a 16-5 edge in total shots and a 6-1 advantage in shots on goal, boding well for the offense in the future despite not netting the season's first goal against the Mountaineers.

NEWS AND NOTES TO KNOW
1: Merle Hueser was the only newcomer to crack the opening Starting XI. Fellow freshman Taty Schivel and grad transfer MIkaela O'Fallon also made their NJIT debuts Thursday as reserves.

Mojisola Ayodele also made her first career appearance in goal in her second season, replacing new starter Samantha Constantine as a second half sub and making her first career save.

357: Number of days since between fifth year Madison Taibl's last game of 2022 (August 25) and Thursday's opener as the veteran defender worked her way back from injury.

7: NJIT is unbeaten in its last seven home season openers (5-0-2 record) since a 2-0 loss against Temple on August 23, 2013.

5: The five total shots the NJIT defense allowed against Mount St. Mary's were the program's third-fewest allowed in a season opener since going Division I in 2006 (2 shots allowed at Saint Peter's on Aug. 17, 2012; 4 shots allowed against LIU last season). 

2-1-2: NJIT has posted a 2-1-2 record in its last five season openers: wins against LIU (4-0, 2022) and Drexel (3-1, 2020; played in Spring 2021), ties against Mount St. Mary's (0-0, 2023) and UMBC (0-0 in 2OT, 2019 - 1st game at new Lubetkin Field), and a lone defeat at St. John's (0-3, 2021).

8: 2023 will be the eighth season at the helm of the Highlanders program for head coach Ally Nick since taking over in 2016. Nick has compiled an overall record (W-L-D) of 47-54-17 (19-28-6 conference - ASUN & America East) over seven seasons and 14-24-9 (7-12-4 AE) in three campaigns as a member of the America East conference (since 2020).

3: NJIT will look to reach its third consecutive America East tournament this year. The last time the Highlanders played in at least three straight league tournaments, NJIT competed in four consecutive Great West Conference tourneys from 2009-12. Under Coach Nick, NJIT has made back-to-back playoff appearances twice across two different leagues: 2018-19 in the ASUN and 2021-22 in the America East. The Highlanders were picked to finish sixth in this year's AE Preseason Poll, which would be the minimum to clinch the third berth at season's end.

29: NJIT will field an active roster of 29 during the 2023 campaign: 21 returners (including 2022 AE All-Championship selection Ciara Adams, 2022 AE All-Rookie honoree Riley Jones, 2021 AE All-Rookie selection Caroline Caputo, and veteran captains Emma Bitar and Madison Taibl), seven freshmen and one grad transfer.

11: This year's roster is even more diverse than last year's in terms of hometowns. The active roster hails from 11 different locales - New Jersey (13 players), Virginia (4), Pennsylvania (3), New York (2), California (1), Arizona (1), North Carolina (1), Canada (1), New Zealand (1), Portugal (1), and Germany (1) - compared to seven in 2022.

81.8: The percentage of offense (18 of 22 goals) returning to the Highlander lineup from last year, including team leading scorers Bailey Chant (3 G, 1 A) and Briana Andreoli (3 G). Three-fourths of NJIT's ability to set up those scoring chances (8 of 12 assists) is back as well, paced by team leader Aleesha Deshmukh (3 A).

6: NJIT's school record for ties in a season from last year. The previous record was three, done in 2005, 2012, 2016 and 2019.

1: One new coach joined the Highlander staff since the end of last season (Jordan Nash came aboard in March after most recently working at Monmouth) and the first former Highlander to play under Coach Nick signed a professional contract (Angela Harris committed to play for Greek side Panathinaikos earlier this month).

2023 STATS LEADERS
Goals: None
Assists: None
Points: None
Shots: Riley Jones - 3 
SOG: Briana Andreoli/Bailey Chant - 2
Saves: Mojisola Ayodele - 1
GAA: Ayodele/Samantha Constantine - 0.00

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT | NOTES
NJIT and Saint Peter's will be meeting for the 16th time in their history, with the Highlanders holding a commanding 12-2-1 edge in the all-time series. NJIT is currently on an 11-match winning streak over the Peacocks - which includes five straight shutouts with a +21 differential - after last season's 2-0 road win on September 11, 2022.

SPU opened the year Thursday with a 3-0 home loss against LIU. 

NEXT UP
NJIT hits the road for the first time later in the week when the team heads out West for the first of two games in California against California Baptist (August 24 at 10 p.m. Eastern).