Women's Soccer Blanks New Hampshire For First-Ever America East Road Win
It was not pretty, but like seeing the beauty in the struggle, something great came from the grind.
The NJIT women's soccer team battled its way to the program's first-ever America East road victory Sunday afternoon, holding off the New Hampshire Wildcats, 1-0, at Wildcat Stadium. The victory moved NJIT to 5-10-1 (3-3-1 AE) on the year and snapped New Hampshire's (5-7-2, 3-3-1 AE) three-game winning streak.
Fifth-year Christine Conaghy came off the bench in the 15th minute and less than five minutes later (19') scored the game-winning goal for the Highlanders. Senior Whitney Roth sent a ball into the box after an NJIT throw-in and Conaghy headed it home after it deflected off a New Hampshire defender.
The goal was the third of the season for Conaghy, who had two career goals heading into the 2021 campaign.
The road conference victory was the program's first since a win at North Alabama in ASUN Conference play on September 29, 2019. The win also snapped a 13-match road winless streak that started after the North Alabama victory (0-11-2 during that span).
The stat that personified the Highlanders's determination on Sunday: NJIT was outshot 18-2 - with both shots coming from Conaghy - and still won the game. It marked the first time in NJIT's Division I history (since 2006) that the Highlanders won a game with as few total shots as they took on Sunday. NJIT's previous low shot tally in a victory was four in a 1-0 win over Delaware State on Oct 10, 2014.
Redshirt junior Molly Saylor added to her America East leading save total with four stops against New Hampshire. Saylor now has 88 saves on the season while adding her sixth shutout (third in AE and 11th of her career).
NEXT UP
NJIT will host UAlbany on Sunday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. The match will serve as Senior Day for the Highlanders' five seniors and four fifth-years.