NJIT Comes from Behind, Wins Thrilling Sun Belt Conference Opener in Overtime
NEWARK, NJ—Sophomore Stephen McGeever’s golden goal 2:27 into the first overtime period lifted NJIT to a 2-1come-from-behind win over visiting Georgia State in the first Sun Belt Conference men’s soccer game for both teams.
NJIT, ranked 9th in the most recent weekly National Soccer Coaches Association of America Southeast Region Poll is 6-3-3 after defeating Georgia State, which was ranked 8th in the same poll and falls to 4-6 after the loss to the Highlanders.
The Atlanta-based Panthers managed the only first-half goal for either side on a 40-yard shot from senior Stephen McGill in the 42nd minute, but NJIT came back to equalize nearly 20 minutes into the second half on the first 2014 goal for sophomore Victor Kausch and then the home team won early in overtime when McGeever, too, scored his first goal of the year.
Senior Marko Drljic collected his team-leading fourth assist on Kausch’s tying goal and classmate Cristian Marcel assisted on the game winner. McGill’s guided-missile goal for Georgia State was unassisted.
The game was a landmark event for Highlanders men’s soccer. This is the first year since 1995 that the Sun Belt Conference, a multi-sport conference, has sponsored a men’s soccer championship.
Georgia State, a core member of the Sun Belt, and NJIT, an associate member for men’s soccer only, are two of six teams vying for the Sun Belt crown, the winner of which earns an automatic spot in the NCAA Division I postseason field..
With the win over Georgia State, NJIT is 5-0-2 in its seven home games this season and the Highlanders had the upper hand in nearly every area but the score for most of the game. And they ended on top there thanks to McGeever’s overtime goal.
NJIT outshot the visitors, 13-5, including 10-3 in shots on goal. Christian Foust made two saves and allowed one goal in victory for NJIT, while senior CJ Cochran stopped eight shots for the Panthers.
McGill scored for Georgia State against the run of play in the 42nd minute. The senior from Ireland noticed the NJIT keeper, Foust, had wandered out into the box and used the opportunity to send a 40-yard shot at the goal. Even with Foust out of position. McGill’s long shot had to be perfect—and it was.
Foust, like a baseball outfielder who misreads a deep fly ball off the bat, lost a crucial beat before retreating and McGill’s kick sailed above the 6-foot-3 Foust’s head , but still low enough to squeeze under the crossbar and into the net.
McGill’s long-range tally was just the second shot of the day for the Panthers, compared to six to the same point for the scoreless Highlanders.
NJIT was off the board in the opening half despite three excellent chances. Drljic hit the left post in the 19th minute on a reverberating shot. On a similar looking play a minute later, Marcel’s blast was saved by Georgia State’s Cochran. And Jimmy Myers of the Highlanders got off an open shot in the 35th minute that Cochran turned away, as well.
Georgia State’s first shot of the match was a blast from a difficult angle off the foot of Andy Anglade, saved by Foust in the 26th minute. Anglade’s try and McGill’s goal were the only two Panther shots in the opening half.
Kausch pulled NJIT level at 65:19 on a pretty assist by Drljic, who was in the middle of the box and sent a back-heel diagonal pass to Kausch, who finished from near the penalty spot.
Marcel, the two-time Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week for NJIT, was denied on a header 12 seconds from the end of regulation. Danny Cordeiro’s high pass into the box in front of the goal from 30 yards away found Marcel, who got off a clean shot, but it was into Cochran’s chest for a save.
McGeever’s golden goal came on a 15-yard straight-on shot after he received a pass from Marcel, who was just outside the box when he fed McGeever for the winning goal.
The Highlanders will play outside the Sun Belt Conference for their next game, when they host Central Connecticut in a 7 pm game Wednesday on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
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Appalachian State Men’s Soccer Ties Howard on Saturday
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In its second Sun Belt Conference match, Appalachian State University men’s soccer seemingly dominated Howard in all facets of the match but still came away with a 2-2 draw on Saturday evening.
The Mountaineers (4-5-3, 0-0-2 Sun Belt) found themselves down in the match right before halftime in the 41st minute when Howard’s Kyle Celestine headed in a corner kick from Donny-Joshua Felix to put the Bison up 1-0.
It didn’t take long after intermission for App State’s offense to heat up and break through. In the 56th minute, Alex Herbst (Apex, N.C./Apex) placed a free kick quickly and found Donovan Japp (Oakridge, N.C./Northwest Guilford) and the sophomore was able to tally the equalizer. The goal for Japp was his first of the season.
Two minutes and 25 seconds later, Trey Hemphill (Asheville, N.C./T.C. Roberson) got in on the action and detonated a shot from 25 yards out to put the Apps in front 2-1. The goal for Hemphill was also his first of the season.
App State would hold the 2-1 advantage for the next 26 minutes and change before Frederick Todd III scored to tie the game in the 85th minute.
After two overtime periods, App State would tally five shots to Howard’s zero but would end up drawing the Bison after 20 minutes of overtime play. For the game, the Mountaineers outshot Howard by a staggering 19-5 advantage, including 12-3 in shots on frame.
Japp led the squad with four shots and three on target. Hemphill tallied three shots and all were on frame, while Stephen Chapman (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) also collected three shots on the night with one on goal.
Unfortunately for the Apps, two of the three shots on goal went in for Howard. Holland Hammond (Jacksonville, N.C./Jacksonville) saw all of the action in net and made one save on the night. The Mountaineers also managed an incredible 10 corner kicks to Howard’s two.
The Mountaineers will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 18 when they host Sun Belt foe Georgia State. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. from Appalachian Soccer Stadium.
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Men's Soccer Plays To Draw With Appalachian State in Sun Belt Opener
WASHINGTON, DC --- Playing in their first league game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Howard men's soccer team played to a 2-2 draw against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday evening at Greene Stadium.
Howard (0-11-2, 0-0-1 SBC) took a 1-0 lead in the 41st minute after a foul by Appalachian State (4-5-3, 0-0-2 SBC) sent Howard freshman midfielder Nigel Grant out of the game with an injury and gave the Bison a free kick opportunity.
Senior defender Donny-Joshua Felix took advantage of the set piece, seding a clean left side shot into the box where it was headed in by freshman forward Kyle Celestine for his first career goal.
However, the Bison would allow a pair of goals within the span of 2:30 to give the Mountaineers the lead.
In the 56th minute, App State's Alex Herbst quickly placed the ball down after a Howard foul and sent a pass to Donovan Japp, who scored across the an outstretched Eric Hamilton and into the right side of the goal. The Mountaineers scored again in the 58th minute as Trey Hemphill sent a 25 yard shot to the back of the net.
The Bison responded in dramatic fashion in the 85th minute. Senior defender Frederick Todd III found himself at the right place at the right time to corral the ball at the top of the box semicircle and sent a strike that hit the top crossbar and fell into goal to set the eventual final tally.
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Georgia State Men's Soccer Falls at NJIT 2-1 in Sun Belt Opener
NEWARK, N.J. – In the Panthers’ Sun Belt Conference opener, the Georgia State men’s soccer team dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker in overtime against NJIT in Newark, N.J.
Stephen McGill opened the scoring in the 42nd minute with a fantastic shot from 40 yards out. However, it was not enough as the Highlanders scored in the 65th and 93rd minutes to complete the comeback and earn the win.
Over the first 20 minutes of the match the Highlanders had three quality scoring chances.
First in the 14th minute Nikola Gogic sent a header on target but GSU goalkeeper CJ Cochran made the save. Marko Drljic then tried his luck in the 19th minute but his shot deflected off the post. One minute later Cristian Marcel had an opportunity by Cochran saved his effort.
Georgia State’s first opportunity came in the 26th minute when Andy Anglade fired a shot on goal. However, NJIT goalkeeper Christian Foust was there for the save.
Over the next 10 minutes Cochran was forced to make a pair of saves to keep the match scoreless.
First in the 34th minute, Cochran denied Drljic for the second time in the first half. Then one minute later, Jimmy Myers tested Cochran but the senior keeper made the save. GSU finally broke through to grab a lead in the 42nd minute when McGill scored his second goal of the season. He won the ball back near midfield and noticed that Foust was off his line. So McGill chipped the keeper from 40 yards out and give the Panthers a 1-0 advantage.
Neither team attempted a shot over the next three minutes and the first half ended with Georgia State leading 1-0.The Highlanders outshot the Panthers 6-2 during the first 45 minutes but GSU took three of four total corner kicks.
The Panthers had two chances in the first six minutes of the second half. First Aaron Jones in the 49th minute but his effort was high. Two minutes later Cory Plasker fired a shot on goal but it was saved by Foust.
NJIT tied the game 1-1 in the 65th minute when Victor Kausch scored his first goal of the season. Drljic layed the ball off to Kausch who scored from just outside the six-yard box.
The Highlanders had a four chances to take the lead over the final 25 minutes of regulation but they could not beat Cochran.
In the 72nd minute Drljic fired a shot on target but the GSU keeper was there for the save. Then in the 77th minute Phillip Costa tested Cochran but the senior was up to the task. Three minutes later Stephen McGeever tried his luck but he too was denied by Cochran. Finally, in the 90th minute Cochran saved Marcel’s close-range header.
After 90 minutes there was nothing to separate GSU and NJIT so the teams prepared for overtime.
In the second half, the Highlanders held a 6-3 edge in shots and took the only two corners.
Three minutes into overtime NJIT found the back of the net to clinch the 2-1 come-from-behind victory. Marcel passed to McGeever, who fired a shot into the top-right corner from just outside the 18-yard box. Cochran got a hand to the ball but could not make the save as it deflected into the net.
GSU drops to 4-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play this season. Highlanders improve to 6-3-3 and 1-0 in the Sun Belt in 2014. Cochran finished with eight saves, two shy of his career high, on 13 shots faced. Georgia State returns to the field on Tuesday, Oct. 14. The Panthers travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to battle the Tar Heels at 7 p.m.