Game 5 | Home Game 3	LIU (2-1)
Date | Time	Thursday, August 31 | 2:00 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
All-Time Series | Last Meeting	LIU leads 7-1-2 | 8/18/2022 @ NJIT (4-0 NJIT)
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	AmericaEast.TV

NEWARK, N.J. — NJIT Women's Soccer (1-1-2) returns to Newark after a pair of games on the West Coast for a home matchup against the LIU Sharks (2-1) on Thursday afternoon. The contest was slated to be the final leg of the Highlanders' season-long three-game road slate but due to facility unavailability for LIU, the meeting will now kick off NJIT's season-long four-match homestand.

LAST TIME OUT
NJIT wrapped up its California tour on August 27 with a scoreless draw against UC Riverside in a first-of-its-kind Highlander Showdown. The tie was the second of the year for NJIT - both without a goal for either squad.

The game may have ended without a goal but it was not for lack of trying from either side. NJIT finished one shot behind UCR for total chances in the game (12-11) after leading at halftime (8-7) and was even in shots on goal (4-4). The game marked the first time since 2021 that NJIT and an opponent finished with double-digit shots in a scoreless tie.

Ciara Adams led NJIT with three shots taken and two chances on frame. Bailey Chant (2 shots, 1 SOG) and Briana Andreoli (2 shots) were the other NJIT players who registered multiple opportunities to score. Mikayla Balio, Kelsey Ramos, Gabby Zalot and Riley Jones each added a shot to the NJIT tally.

Despite facing double-digit shots for the second straight game (after facing three in her first two of the year), Samantha Constantine secured her first career solo shutout with three saves and a full 90 minutes of work in net. Constantine had been a part of three combined shutouts in her career - one with Molly Saylor in 2022 and two this year with teammate Mojisola Ayodele.

UCR did hold an 11-2 edge on corner kicks, making it even more impressive that Constantine and the NJIT defense held firm to bring a point home to Newark.

NEWS AND NOTES TO KNOW
2012: NJIT's trip to California marked the first time the team played in the Western US since its final contests as members of the former Great West Conference (Oct. 5, 2012 at Utah Valley and Nov. 3, 2012 vs Howard in the GWC Tournament at UVU). The two game swing was part of the Highlanders' 18-match slate for 2023.

13: Zalot's opening weekend efforts helped her earn the first America East Offensive Player of the Week award of the season - the 13th AE weekly honor the Highlanders have picked up since joining the conference in July 2020 (4 Offensive, 5 Defensive, 4 Rookie). Her six-point game against Saint Peter's bested the previous NJIT D-I mark of five points, last set by teammate Bailey Chant on September 4, 2021 at home against Saint Peter's and first done by alumna Kori Washington on October 24, 2007 against Howard.

2021: The 7-0 victory over Saint Peter's marked the most goals scored by NJIT since September 4, 2021, when the Highlanders defeated the same Saint Peter's team by a 6-0 margin at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.

The last NJIT player with two assists in a game before Zalot was Highlander alumna Siani Magruder in the 2021 Saint Peter's matchup.

Aleesha Deshmukh's goal vs SPU was her first since scoring as a freshman against Saint Peter's in that 2021 contest.

5: That 2021 Saint Peter's game was also the last time five NJIT players scored in one game (Chant, Deshmukh, Briana Ramirez, and recent grads Christine Conaghy and Tara Walenczyk).

The five total shots the NJIT defense allowed in the season opening 0-0 draw 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). 

28: NJIT's record against Saint Peter's all-time improves to 13-2-1, including 12 wins in a row, six straight shutouts, and a +28 differential (28-0) across those six shutouts.

1: Merle Hueser was the only newcomer to crack the Starting XI in the first two games. Fellow freshmen Taty Schivel, Sydney Burlingame and Victoria Terranova, and grad transfer Mikaela O'Fallon have also made their NJIT debuts in the first two games.

Mojisola Ayodele also made her first career appearance in goal in her second season in the opener against Mount St. Mary's, replacing new starter Samantha Constantine as a second half sub and making her first career save.

Sam Constantine earned her first-ever solo shutout against UC Riverside after combining group shutouts previously - one in 2022 and two this year.

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.

17: NJIT's +17 differential on total shots (23-6) vs Saint Peter's was the team's highest since the Highlanders offense went +24 (31-7) against Delaware State at home on October 7, 2022.

3: The 2022 Delaware State game was also the last time NJIT assisted on three goals in a game as a team.
For the third time in the last five seasons, the Highlanders have gone unbeaten after their first two games. In the 2020 campaign (played in Spring 2021), NJIT defeated Drexel and Wagner at home in its first two. Last year, a home opening 4-0 win over LIU and a draw against Big East foe St. John's kept NJIT without a loss to start the season

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.

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).

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: Gabby Zalot - 2
Assists: Gabby Zalot - 2
Points: Gabby Zalot - 6
Shots: Riley Jones/Bailey Chant - 8
SOG: Bailey Chant - 4
Saves: Samantha Constantine - 8
GAA: Mojisola Ayodele - 0.00

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT | NOTES
LIU had its season-opening two-match winning streak snapped on Sunday at home against another America East opponent, UMBC (1-0). In fact, each of the Sharks' first three games have been shutouts (3-0 win at Saint Peter's, 1-0 win at Rider). LIU is led by Noa Bartels van Bosbeek (1 G, 1 A; 10 Shots) and two-time reigning NEC Rookie of the Week Keely Thomas (0.23 GAA, 12 saves, .923 save percentage). 

Across their many iterations in Division I (LIU, LIU Brooklyn) and Division II (CW Post/LIU Post), LIU holds a 7-1-2 edge over NJIT all-time. The Highlanders and Sharks played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting with LIU as the Sharks on September 13, 2019 and NJIT earned its first-ever win over the school in a 4-0 shutout to open 2022.

NEXT UP
NJIT remains home and closes out the weekend with a Jersey tilt against FDU on Sunday, September 3 at 1 p.m.