LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — Rider scored three unanswered goals in the second half, including the game-winner in the 89th minute, as the Broncs rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat visiting NJIT, 3-2, Friday evening in a men's soccer non-conference matchup at Ben Cohen Field.
NJIT (2-3) finished with a 21-10 advantage in shots, including a 12-5 edge in the second half, and put five shots on goal.
The Highlanders struck early, creating their first scoring opportunity off a corner kick at the 55-second mark. Just 33 seconds later, Diogo Rebelo found the back of the net at 1:28 off an assist from Maximus Barboto to give NJIT an early 1-0 lead. The goal was Rebelo's team-leading third of the season and marked his second consecutive match with a goal.
Rider (3-1) applied pressure midway through the opening half, recording several shots and two corner kicks. Ryan Vaubel's attempt hit the crossbar, but the Highlanders maintained their advantage.
NJIT doubled its lead at 35:19 when Zain Thompson scored his first collegiate goal off an assist from Mateusz Marciniak, giving the Highlanders a 2-0 advantage. NJIT carried the two-goal lead into halftime.
Rider cut the deficit in half at 59:21 when Vaubel scored off an assist from Chiemeka Azurunwa, making it 2-1. The Highlanders responded with several opportunities, including shots from Henrique Sardinha, Jeremy Klinger, Hugo Tavares and Barboto.
The Broncs completed the comeback at 73:46 when Patryk Rojek scored to equalize at 2-2.
NJIT continued to generate pressure late, with shots from Klinger, Barboto and Rebelo. NJIT goalkeeper Andre Faerman made a key save at 83:08 on an attempt by Azurunwa to keep the match tied.
Rider scored the decisive goal at 88:44 when Gavin Faracchio unleashed a left-footed blast from 25 yards that beat a diving NJIT goalkeeper, giving the Broncs a 3-2 lead and securing the home victory.
Klinger paced the Highlanders with six total shots followed by Barboto (4) and Rebelo (3), including two shots on goal.
Next Up
NJIT will return to action on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, at 1 p.m. when the Highlanders host James Madison. The match will be streamed live on AmericaEast.TV.
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