New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score GLASSBORO, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Tied at 1-1, Rowan University scored three straight goals to seize a 4-1 halftime lead and dealt New Jersey City University's men's soccer playoffs hopes a blow as the Profs upended the Gothic Knights, 6-2, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference night game on October 12 at the Rowan Soccer Field.
 
NJCU (5-6-1, 2-3 NJAC) falls out of the top six in the NJAC standings for the first time this season and with six points, currently is  tied with Ramapo College for seventh place in the league—one point behind Rutgers-Newark and William Paterson University for the final playoff berth with four league games left. Rowan (7-7, 1-4 NJAC) evened its overall record at .500 while winning its first conference game of the season.
 
The Profs had double the shot attempts of NJCU, leading, 22-11, in a physical game that saw 42 fouls and seven yellow cards. Rowan was whistled for 12 offsides but used precise passing to upend NJCU as an unusual three of the six goals were credited with double assists.
 
In defeat for NJCU, junior forwards ANDY CABAN (Red Bank, NJ/Red Bank Regional) and BRYAN PINO (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) scored for the Knights with freshman midfielder DAVAUNI BROWN (Newark, NJ/Newark Tech) and junior center midfielder MARCO AVELLA (Union, NJ/Union) chipping in assists.
 
Lugi Buffolino scored twice and added an assist for the hosts while Nick Bolton finished with a goal and three assists. Alex Molloy, Devon Garner and Shane Kohler each netted goals. Brian Kahn, Parker Oris, Dave Schwartz and Vinny Ignatowicz provided assists.
 
Ryan Gill made two saves for Rowan in the first half before Kevin Vasta came on in the second half to stop three shots. The Profs also had one team save. Junior goalkeeper RUBEN MORALES (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) made six saves for NJCU.
 
Rowan got on the board in the 16^th minute when Molloy scored his first goal of the season (15:21) when he deflected home a free kick from Kahn. NJCU tied it at 1-1 just seven minutes later (22:27) after Brown slipped a pass into the box that Caban redirected past the Rowan keeper for his fourth goal of the season. The assist was Brown's first career helper.
 
But Rowan regained the lead for good in the 28^th minute when Bolton scored an unassisted goal (27:38) on a loose ball in front of the net for this third marker of the season. Buffolino scored the first of his two goals in the 36^th minute as he scored at 35:24 off two quick passes from Bolton and Oris. Rowan increased the lead to 4-1 in the 43^rd minute as Bolton threw in the ball into the box to Schwartz who fed Garner for his first goal of the season.
 
Pino made it a two-goal deficit in the 52^nd minute with his second goal as a Gothic Knight, scoring at 51:32 on a cross into the box by Avella, who chalked up his second assist.
 
It remained that margin for more than 30 minutes until Kohler scored his fifth goal of the season. The goal at 81:51 came off a corner kick by Ignatowicz that was headed into the box by Buffolino. Rowan iced the win at 85:07 when Buffolino scored his third goal of the season and second of the game off a Bolton assist.
 
NJCU will look to rediscover the win column on Monday, October 14 when it hosts St. Joseph's College (LI) in a Columbus Day non-conference game at 3 p.m. at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.