NEWARK, NJ–The NJIT men's soccer team will continue its road swing on Saturday, visiting No. 24 Cornell.

Game Information
Saturday's match is slated for 4pm. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ with in-game statistics available on CornellBigRed.com .

All-Time Series
Saturday will mark the first all-time meeting between the two schools.

Last Time Out
Junior midfielder Cristian LoGrasso's second half goal lifted the Highlanders to a 1-0 road win at CCSU in men's soccer non-conference action at CCSU Soccer Field.

The Highlanders tallied the first goal of the match in the 50th minute for a 1-0 advantage.  Junior Alvaro Heredia worked his way through the Blue Devils defense and got a shot off that was saved by the CCSU goalkeeper Grady Wilson but NJIT's LoGrasso rebounded the ball inside the box and fired a shot into the back of the net.  

Devin Armstrong played the full 90 minutes in goal, making one save and recording the clean sheet, his fourth of the season.

News & Notes
–The Highlanders, 2-3-2 overall, are coming off a 1-0 road victory at CCSU.
–The win at CCSU was the first win on the road this season for the Highlanders.
–NJIT picked up its first win in 2025 on Sept. 6 in a 1-0 home victory over Rider.  Sergio Martinez Cubel scored the lone goal and goalkeeper Devin Armstrong combined for the clean sheet.
–The Highlanders started out the season dropping its first two games – at Loyola (MD) and at FDU but picked up a 0-0 draw against UConn on August 28 in front of a sellout crowd.  
–Head coach Fernando Barboto begins his 10th season at NJIT after guiding the 2024 Highlanders to its fifth straight America East Tournament appearance.
–The Highlanders have welcomed 10 newcomers to the 2025 roster.
–America East All-Championship team selection Sergio Martinez Cubel returns as the Highlanders top goal scorer. Three out of four goals in 2024 came on penalty kicks, all three being successful.
–Devin Armstrong, the Highlander keeper, played and started in 17 matches last season after transferring in from Wake Forest (2022-23) and Akron (January 2024), combining for a 6-7-4 overall mark, 60 saves, a 1.51 goals against average and a pair of shutouts.  He posted a personal-best nine saves at Vermont.  Armstrong ranked fourth in the league in saves per game (3.53).
–Alvaro Heredia combined for a pair of goals and assists for six points.
–NJIT was voted to finish fifth in the 2025 America East Preseason Coaches Poll.

Scouting the Big Red
–Cornell enters the weekend's non-conference match ranked No. 24 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll (as of Sept. 16).
–The Big Red have won the first three out of four matches this season with wins over LeMoyne, UC Santa Barbara and Western Michigan.  The lone loss came against UC Irvine, who was receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll and is currently ranked No. 20 (as of Sept. 16).
–Goalkeeper Ryan Friedberg led Cornell to its third shutout of the season with a 3-0 victory over Western Michigan.  In four contests, Friedberg is 3-1-0 with three shutouts, eight saves and one goal against.
–As a team, Cornell has scored seven goals through four matches, led by Andrew Johnson with a pair of goals.
–MAC Herman Trophy watch list member and returning All-American Connor Miller notched 17 points in 2024, coming by way of four goals and an Ivy League leading nine assists. He was a Third-Team All-American, First-Team All-Ivy member, and First-Team All-Region selection.
–MAC Hermann Trophy watch list member Andrew Johnson notched a pair of goals in 2024. He was a MLS SuperDraft selection to the Charlotte Football Club, First-Team All-Ivy member, and First-Team All-Region selection.
–Cornell earned a first-place vote and was tabbed second in the 2025 Ivy League preseason poll. The Big Red concluded last season with a 5-2 record in league play, taking second in the regular season standings.

Up Next
NJIT will conclude its three-match road swing and begin America East Conference action on September 27 when the Highlanders visit UAlbany.  Kickoff is slated for 6pm.

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