New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score WAYNE, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior center mid KELVIN FLORES (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) scored his first goal as a member of the New Jersey City University men's soccer team in the 59^th minute before sophomore midfielder ABOUBACAR DIAWARA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) netted his fifth of the season in the 74^th minute to stake the Gothic Knights to a 2-0 margin before NJCU defeated host William Paterson University, 2-1, in the 2013 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools on September 21 at the Pioneer Soccer Park.
  NJCU, selected 10^th in the 2013 NJAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll, pick up an important early conference road victory, improving to 4-3-0 (1-0-0 NJAC) on the season. NJCU snapped a five-game losing streak dating to 2008 against the Pioneers.
 
WPU (5-2-1, 0-1-0 NJAC), picked fifth in the same poll, and receiving votes in the most current National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III South Atlantic Region poll, dropped its second straight game after a six-game unbeaten streak to start the season.
 
A well-rested Gothic Knight squad, playing its first game in 10 days, may have been a little rusty in a scoreless first half, being outshot, 7-5. But NJCU controlled the tempo in the second half, outshooting the Pioneers, 9-5, to finish with a 14-12 advantage for the contest. WPU held a 9-3 differential on corner kicks.
 
Junior goalkeeper RUBEN MORALES (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) made five saves to preserve the victory in his first NJAC start. All-Region senior defensive midfielder MOHAMED CONTEH (Trenton, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North) chalked up his fourth assist of the year on the eventual game-winner.
 
WPU's lone goal came midway through the 87^th minute, but the Pioneers didn't threaten again in the final 3:31. WPU freshman goalkeeper Matt Hernandez (Fort Lee, NJ/Fort Lee) made two saves in the loss.
 
"I'm very proud of the boys," noted second-year head coach Patrick Snyder. "It was a tough first half. The first five minutes were insanely intense and it never tailed off from there. All 90 minutes was up and back. We went up 2-0 and we are happy to get out with a 2-1 win with the amount of pressure they put on us late in the game."
 
"Hopefully this gets us where we want to be. This is a good step for us. It was a one-goal game [1-0 loss] last year to them at our place. To come here and get three [NJAC] points is huge. It's a tough and grueling NJAC schedule and I'm proud of the effort we put in today."

NJCU broke the deadlock at the 58:43 mark when Flores worked himself free on the left side of the box and rattled a shot off the right post and into the net.
 
Diawara, who led NJCU with four shots (two on goal), netted what proved to be his second game-winner of the season at the 73:52 juncture for a 2-0 lead, as he buried a quick pass in the center of the six from Conteh, who was along the right post.
 
Junior back Marcus Hackett (Montclair, NJ/Immaculate Conception) scored his first of the year for WPU at the 86:29 point, heading in an assisted corner kick by senior Matt Nigro (Morganville, NJ/Marlboro). It was the final shot of the game for either side.
 
Both squads had other notable chances earlier in the half. Morales made a point-blank save two minutes into the second half on a chance by freshman forward Leandro Lemache (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep). Lemache finished with a game-high six shots (four SOG) and was the lone Pioneer with multiple shots. Diawara had a breakaway up the middle of the field thwarted at 48:53. He led five NJCU players with multiple shots in the victory.
 
NJCU will play its first home NJAC game of the 2013 season on Wednesday, September 25 at 4 p.m. when it hosts Ramapo College.