NEWARK, NJ — Three different Highlanders found the back of the net, with Maximus Barboto contributing a goal and an assist, as NJIT men's soccer defeated visiting Drexel, 3-2, Tuesday at Lubetkin Field at J. Malcolm Simon Stadium.
The Highlanders improved to 5-4-1 on the season and have gone unbeaten in four of their last five matches.
NJIT scored twice in the opening half and added a third goal early in the second half, while Drexel scored twice after halftime. The Dragons held a 16-12 advantage in shots, but both teams recorded seven shots on goal. NJIT goalkeeper Andre Faerman made five saves.
Junee Lee and Diogo Rebelo led the Highlanders with three shots apiece, followed by Barboto with two.
NJIT applied early pressure, as Drexel goalkeeper Raphael Bartell turned aside a Barboto attempt at 9:34. Faerman kept the match scoreless at 20:48 with a save on Brian Salvino before the Highlanders generated four shots and a corner kick over the next several minutes.
Barboto opened the scoring at 30:28, converting a penalty kick to give NJIT a 1-0 lead. The goal was his first of the season.
Lee doubled the Highlanders' advantage at 42:22, scoring to make it 2-0. Drexel generated two shots late in the half, including a Faerman save on Leon Park at 44:52, but NJIT carried its two-goal lead into the break.
The Highlanders continued to apply pressure early in the second half, earning corner kicks at 61:33 and 62:02. Less than a minute later, Zain Thompson extended the lead to 3-0 at 62:26, finishing off assists from Henrique Sardinha and Barboto.
Drexel responded with increased pressure on set pieces, forcing Faerman to make two saves on Tiago Lima-Bittencourt before Gianluca Grubic got the Dragons on the board at 68:20, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Lee had an attempt saved in the 76th minute, but Drexel continued to push and earned a penalty kick that Morgan Worsfold-Gregg converted at 79:46 to make it a one-goal match.
The Dragons continued to pressure in the closing minutes, but the Highlanders' defense held firm to secure the 3-2 victory and their second straight win.
Faerman finished with five saves for NJIT.
Next Up
NJIT returns to America East Conference action Saturday when the Highlanders visit Vermont, which is ranked No. 12 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and the match will stream on AmericaEast.TV.
Stay Connected
Follow NJIT men's soccer on X and Instagram at @NJITSoccer, and like NJIT Men's Soccer on Facebook for the latest news, scores and updates.
