PROVIDENCE, RI — The NJIT men's soccer team played Brown to a 1-1 draw Saturday evening in non-conference action at Stevenson-Pincince Field.
Saturday's match marked the first all-time meeting between the Highlanders and Bears.
Brown entered the contest ranked No. 8 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Northeast Region rankings, released Sept. 15. NJIT moves to 3-4-1 overall, while Brown stands at 4-1-1.
NJIT's Mateusz Marciniak opened the scoring in the 15th minute, finding the back of the net on his only shot of the match. Following a miscommunication between the Brown defense and goalkeeper, Marciniak sent a shot from near midfield that sailed over the keeper and into the net to give the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage. The goal was Marciniak's second as a Highlander since transferring to NJIT from St. John's. Maximus Barboto was credited with the assist.
Jeremy Klinger led NJIT with four shots, putting two on frame. Goalkeeper Andre Faerman played all 90 minutes and made four saves, recording two stops in each half.
Brown created the first scoring opportunities of the match, with Faerman saving Marshall Treese's attempt at 3:06 before Lorenzo Amaral hit the right post at 4:17. NJIT responded with attempts from Diogo Rebelo and Maximus Barboto.
Marciniak broke through at 14:09 to give the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage. NJIT continued to generate opportunities, including a Klinger shot that was saved at 26:46 and a Barboto attempt that sailed high at 31:35.
NJIT was reduced to 10 players when Stefan Lichtenheim received a red card at 40:31. Despite playing a man down for the final 45 minutes, the Highlanders continued to threaten, with Klinger and Junee Lee each recording late first-half attempts. NJIT also earned a corner kick at 45:45 and carried its 1-0 lead into halftime.
Brown quickly leveled the match after the break, as James Snaith scored at 45:37 to make it 1-1.
The Highlanders looked for an immediate response through a Rebelo shot at 52:24, while Brown continued to generate pressure. Faerman turned aside Donovan Mark's attempt at 65:52 during a physical stretch that featured several fouls.
Brown applied additional pressure from the 73rd through the 85th minute, but Faerman came up with another key save on Amaral's shot at 73:37. The Bears also had several attempts go wide or get blocked.
NJIT generated late opportunities from Zain Thompson, Harusumi Takesada and Lee, but neither team could find the go-ahead goal as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Highlanders finished with 13 shots, including nine in the opening half. Brown held an 18-13 advantage in total shots and a 5-3 edge in shots on goal.
Next Up
NJIT will take a week off before opening America East Conference play Saturday at 5 p.m. against Binghamton. The Highlanders will host the Bearcats, with the match streaming live on ESPN+.
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