Game 7 | Home Game 5	La Salle (2-4)
Date | Time	Thursday, September 7 | 7:00 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, NJ | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
All-Time Series | Last Meeting	LAS leads 3-0 | 8/29/2019 @ LAS (1-0 LAS)
Live Stats	In-game statistics (free)
Live Video	ESPN+

NEWARK, N.J. — NJIT Women's Soccer (3-1-2) will try for its third straight win on Thursday evening when the Highlanders take on the La Salle Explorers at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite falling behind by two goals - and having a first half goal effectively disallowed - the NJIT women's soccer rallied to earn a 3-2 victory over the visiting FDU Knights at home on September 3.

The Highlanders were able to overcome a successful FDU penalty kick less than two minutes into the game, a goal by Briana Andreoli that was not credited despite clearly going in, and a second FDU score early in the second half to earn their first-ever win over the Knights. NJIT scored two goals 65 seconds apart to even the match (Caroline Caputo 56', Ciara Adams '57) and Maria Nogueira netted the game-winner in the 77th minute on a double assist from Gabby Zalot and the aforementioned Andreoli. Zalot and Andreoli were also credited with the assists on Adams' leveler.


NEWS AND NOTES TO KNOW

• 50: NJIT's win over FDU was the 50th in head coach Ally Nick's career - all at NJIT. Since coming to Newark in 2016, Nick has won 6, 9, 11, 7, 2, 7, 5, and so far 3 games across eight seasons.
• 14: Maria Nogueira was named America East Offensive Player of the Week on September 5 after scoring in her first two games of the year. The honor, coupled with Gabby Zalot's opening week win of the award, give the Highlanders 14 AE Weekly awards since joining the conference in July 2020 (5 Offensive, 5 Defensive, 4 Rookie). Nogueira missed the first four games of the season but didn't miss a beat against LIU (scored the second of three goals in a 3-0 shutout) and FDU (put home the game-winner to complete a 3-2 rally). Her production this weekend has already eclipsed her output as a freshman (1 goal in 14 games in 2022).
• NJIT's goal distribution currently sits at 14 goals by 12 different players. The most diverse offensive season in Division I program history (since 2006) came last year when 14 different players scored the team's 22 goals across 19 games.
• 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.
• 7: The 7-0 victory over Saint Peter's on August 20 matched the program's single-game record - set seven years ago in head coach Ally Nick's fourth-ever game leading the Highlanders on August 29, 2016 - and 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.
• 181:33: The number of minutes across four home games before Samantha Constantine conceded a goal on her watch this year - FDU's penalty score in the second minute (1:33) on September 3.
• 2021: The last NJIT player with two assists in a game before Zalot against Saint Peter's was Highlander alumna Siani Magruder in the 2021 Saint Peter's matchup. Zalot now has two games this year with a pair of assists (SPU, FDU) and Briana Andreoli joined her with two helpers against FDU as well.
• Aleesha Deshmukh's goal vs SPU was her first since scoring as a freshman against Saint Peter's in that 2021 contest.
• 2019: The last time NJIT recorded at least three home shutouts to start a season - like they have this year (MSM 0-0, SPU 0-0, LIU 3-0) was 2019, when the Highlanders held their opponents scoreless at the newly opened Lubetkin Field during their first four home contests. The 2023 team has actually scored one more goal in their three home shutouts (10 goals) than the 2019 squad did in their four clean sheets (9 goals).
• 5: With her goal against LIU, Bailey Chant reached double digit career scores with ten. She is now the fifth Highlander in the Division I era to record ten or more goals, joining Fiona Wright (15), Kori Washington (12), Carly Berdan (10) and Gechi Ukaegbu (10).
• 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.
• 2022: Chant's PK goal was NJIT's first since October 27, 2022, when former Highlander Siani Magruder's game winner at Bryant capped off a two-goal comeback and helped NJIT clinch a place in last year's America East tournament.
• 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 on three group shutouts previously - one in 2022 and two this year.
• The FDU game was the first time in the Division I era that NJIT produced a pair of double assisted goals.
• 357: Number of days between fifth year Madison Taibl's last game of 2022 (August 25) and the August 17 season opener she appeared in after working 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. Entering 2023, 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/Maria Nogueira - 2
Assists: Gabby Zalot - 4
Points: Gabby Zalot - 8
Shots: Bailey Chant - 14
SOG: Bailey Chant - 8
Saves: Samantha Constantine - 10
GAA: Mojisola Ayodele - 0.00 | Constantine - 1.00

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT | NOTES
La Salle is sporting a 2-4 record entering Thursday's matchup and is coming off a 3-1 home loss to Bucknell. The Explorers are led by Richsya Walker and Haley Gschrey (two goals each) and the goalkeeper tandem of Gabby Neal (2-1 record, seven saves) and Michela Auguadro (19 saves). 

La Salle's coach, Paul Royal, has been at the school for 21 seasons - including Coach Nick's four seasons as a player and five years as an assistant coach.

NJIT and La Salle will be meeting for the fourth time ever and first since 2019. La Salle holds a 3-0 edge in the all-time series (with all the previous matchups occurring in Philadelphia) and their last scheduled meeting during the 2020/Spring 2021 campaign was canceled due to COVID.

NEXT UP
NJIT wraps up its four-game homestand on Sunday, September 10 with a meeting against Wagner. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.