In a highly competitive matchup on Wednesday, October 15th, the New Jersey City University (NJCU) women’s soccer team earned a crucial New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) victory, defeating Ramapo College 1-0 at the Athletic Turf Field in Mahwah, New Jersey. This win marked NJCU’s first conference victory of the season.
Despite facing a barrage of shots from the Roadrunners—who outshot the Gothic Knights 13-5—NJCU showcased remarkable resilience and efficiency. Both teams managed only two shots on target throughout the game, but NJCU made their one opportunity count. The Gothic Knights, improving to 8-5-1 overall and 1-3-1 in NJAC play, efficiently limited the Roadrunners, who now stand at 5-6-2 and 1-4 in the conference.
Senior goalkeeper Sophia Mannino, hailing from Burlington, NJ, was instrumental in maintaining the shutout, contributing two pivotal saves in the full 90 minutes. The contributions from defenders Gabriella Sharpe (Bayonne, NJ) and Kyanah-Belle Jean-Louis (Montreal, Canada) were also significant, as both played every minute of the match, anchoring NJCU’s defense.
The scoring effort was led by sophomore Gabriella Cardona from Elizabeth, NJ, who netted her fourth goal of the season in the 35th minute, marking her ninth career goal. This crucial strike came just after head coach Anthony Tuesta made strategic substitutions, including bringing Cardona onto the field, which proved to be a game-changing decision.
The sequence leading to her goal began when Gineth Arias Martinez registered a shot for NJCU just two minutes into the game, although it was blocked. Ramapo responded quickly, taking their first attempt on goal in the seventh minute but missed the target. The Roadrunners managed to put the first shot on goal in the 25th minute, which Mannino confidently saved.
Ramapo maintained pressure, nearly capitalizing on a dangerous series of attempts midway through the first half, but resilient defending from NJCU thwarted their efforts. After Cardona’s goal, NJCU did not record another shot in the first half, instead focusing on a steadfast defense to protect their slim lead.
In the second half, Ramapo continued to dominate possession with several attempts to find an equalizer, including a close miss just five minutes in. NJCU’s best chance in the second half came in the 71st minute when sophomore Ariana Chavez forced Roadrunners keeper Gabby Matias into her only save of the match. Despite several additional efforts from Ramapo toward the end of the game, the Gothic Knights’ defense held strong, sealing the victory.
Looking ahead, NJCU will seek to build on this momentum as they return home on Saturday, October 18th, to host Rutgers-Camden for a 12:00 p.m. NJAC clash at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex.
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