NEWARK, NJ— NJIT held a 1-0 halftime lead, but visiting FDU scored twice in the second half to rally for a 2-1 road victory over the Highlanders Saturday evening at Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.
NJIT (3-4) outshot FDU (5-0-1), 21-12, and matched the Knights with eight shots on goal. FDU goalkeeper Matheus Franca made seven saves, while the Knights scored both of their goals in the second half to secure the win.
The Highlanders finished with 12 second-half shots, while FDU recorded eight shots and earned four corner kicks after halftime.
NJIT applied pressure early, earning three corner kicks in the opening 11 minutes and getting a pair of shots from Diogo Rebelo.
NJIT broke through in the 28th minute. Following a corner kick at 26:23, Stefan Lichtenheim hit the woodwork at 27:03 before Hugo Tavares found the net just two seconds later at 27:05, scoring off an assist from Luan Lazoja to give the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage. The goal was Tavares' second of the season, while Lazoja recorded the first assist of his career.
NJIT continued to generate chances as Junee Lee forced a save at 30:56 and Lazoja followed with a shot 39 seconds later. FDU put several later attempts wide, while Andre Faerman made another save on Luke Ayaz at 40:24 to preserve NJIT's 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Highlanders created the first opportunities of the second half, with Lee putting a shot on goal at 47:01 before adding another attempt six seconds later. NJIT earned another corner at 47:18.
FDU tested Faerman with Dominic Valenzuela's shot at 51:34 before Jeremie Pelade leveled the match at 57:48, scoring off assists from Valenzuela and Andrew Araya.
NJIT responded with a sustained stretch of pressure. Tavares recorded three shots between 60:23 and 61:50, with two Highlanders corner kicks coming during the sequence. FDU answered with two attempts of its own.
Rebelo had a chance to put NJIT back in front, but his penalty kick went high at the 71:07.
The Highlanders continued to create opportunities late, while FDU threatened through Nathaniel Anevski and earned two more corner kicks.
The Knights then earned a penalty kick, and Ayaz converted at 85:08 to give FDU a 2-1 lead.
NJIT generated three final attempts in the closing minutes, but none found the net as FDU held on for the 2-1 road victory.
Next Up
NJIT will take a week off before returning to action on Saturday, September 19, at Brown. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and the match will stream live on ESPN+.
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