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 Josh Osit earns his second shutout |
Oct. 10, 2006
LEWISBURG, PA - In one of its most impressive efforts of the season, the New Jersey Institute of Technology men's soccer team played a 0-0 double overtime tie in a non-conference road match against a strong Bucknell squad Tuesday night.
Bucknell, 7-3-4 overall, has just two losses in its last 12 games and played a 1-1 tie two games ago against Colgate, ranked #24 nationally.
The Highlanders, who posted their second shutout of the season with Tuesday's 110-minute effort at Bucknell, were unfortunate not to get a win. They had one would-be goal disallowed on a controversial foul call and a second `goal' waved off on a disputed offside.
The Highlanders, who will play the remainder of their 2006 schedule on the road, gained their first-ever Division I road tie with the effort against Bucknell. NJIT, which is in its third season playing at the NCAA Division I level, set a school record with five ties last year, but four of them were at home (including a 1-1 tie vs. Bucknell last September 21) and one was a neutral-site draw with Fordham in the Monmouth tournament.
Josh Osit went the distance in goal for NJIT, making 7 saves, while his Bucknell counterpart, Joey Kuterbach, made 8 saves. The total shots were 21-12 in favor of Bucknell, but the shots on goal were even at 8 apiece.
Afterwards, NJIT coach Pedro Lopes was pleased with his team's effort and its execution of the game plan. "We felt that we have been giving away too many goals without the other team having to work for it," said Lopes. "We looked to make it difficult for the other team to get good shots. As a result, we gave up some of the possession we've been having in games, but we defended and countered well.
"Josh (Osit) made saves whenever we needed them and Scott (Rietze), Rafael (Barrera), Thomas (Dores) and Pat (O'Driscoll) did a great job defending. They (Bucknell) are a good team, but we defended them well."
Three of the Highlanders final four regular season games are in the Atlantic Soccer Conference, starting with a 1 pm game Sunday in Farmville, VA, against ASC rival Longwood. NJIT, 1-1-1 in conference play, is aiming to secure one of four spots in the ASC Championship Tournament, the winner of which gets an automatic berth in the 2006 NCAA Division I College Cup.
