New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BALTIMORE, MD (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University outshot Johns Hopkins University, 17-14, including a decisive 12-3 advantage in the second half, but the Blue Jays made an 11^th minute goal stand as the difference in the game as JHU edged NJCU, 1-0, in the opening round of the JHU-Goucher Tournament on September 7 at Homewood Stadium.
 
In only the second-ever meeting between the programs—a game resulting in another 1-0 final—both schools received brilliant performances out of their goalkeepers in a game that could have gone either way. JHU wins its first game (1-1-1) of the season. NJCU drops to 2-2-0.
 
Hopkins' lone goal came at the 10:50 mark of the first half as Mark Spencer played a long ball down the right sideline. Birin Padam ran onto the ball and slid his first goal of the season under junior goalkeeper RUBEN MORALES (Princeton, NJ/Princeton). Padam also struck the post early in the 25^th minute.
 
Morales, making his second career start for the Knights, allowed just one goal yet again, but suffered the loss. He made six saves in 90 minutes. Nick Cerrone stopped six shots for the Blue Jays to pitch the second shutout against NJCU this year. Each squad also had one team save.
 
Hopkins had a slight edge in corner kicks, 8-7, and controlled the first half in shots (11-5) and corners (5-1). NJCU greatly outplayed the hosts in the second half, owning a 6-3 margin in corners, but could not find the equalizing goal.
 
Junior midfielders ANDREW LOPES (Union, NJ/Union) and KELVIN FLORES (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) each had four shots (two on goal) to pace NJCU while junior forward MANNY MARTIS (Union, NJ/Union) added three shots.
 
Among NJCU's best scoring chances of the second half were three shots in the first minute of the period. Rookie defender GABRIEL FREITAS (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had a shot blocked. On a second chance, Lopes put a chance on net that was saved by Cerrone. Martis' missed just high on the putback attempt.
 
In the 52^nd minute, junior midfielder MARCO AVELLA (Union, NJ/Union)'s shot was stopped. His subsequent corner kick to teammate and sophomore midfielder ABOUBACAR DIAWARA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) was kept out of the net with a Hopkins team save. Lopes also narrowly missed a header wide right in the 58^th minute.
 
Eventually, both defenses clamped down and NJCU had just one shot attempt in the final 15 minutes of the contest. JHU was limited to two shots in the final 15, including a header by Rob Heuler in the 84^th minute that was tipped up and over the goal by Morales to maintain a one-goal game.
 
NJCU will face Goucher College in day two of the tournament on its Baltimore campus on Sunday, September 8 at 2:30 p.m. It will be the first-ever meeting between the schools.