Box score
Ewing, NJ ... Junior Chris Pisano (Metuchen, NJ/Metuchen) scored the game-winning goal just over two minutes into overtime as The College of New Jersey men's soccer team defeated New Jersey City University 4-3 at TCNJ's Soccer Complex.
The New Jersey Athletic Conference win gives the Lions (8-5-3, 6-1-1) a first-round bye in the NJAC post-season tournament and a guarantee they will host the semi-final round on Wednesday, November 3 at Lions' Stadium.
After the Gothic Knights (7-10, 1-7 NJAC) tied the game with 35 seconds remaining in the game, TCNJ rebounded quickly as junior Ed Kozic (Raritan, NJ/Immaculata) fed Pisano from just outside the box and Pisano knocked home the winner in to end the game thrilling fashion.
Junior Ray Nelan (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) had a pair of goals for the Lions, his second of the game giving TCNJ a comfortable 3-1 lead. But New Jersey City battled back as Nana Kofi Kusi (Jersey City, NJ/Kumasi Academy) made it a 3-2 game with his second tally of the match with 7:34 left in regulation. That set up the late-game heroics by junior Walter Avans (Roselle Park, NJ/Union Catholic) as he flicked a shot over the head of Lions' goalkeeper Adam Friedman (Chester, NJ/West Morris Mendham) off a fast-break to tie the game.
Head coach George Nazario's squad did not buckle, however, as they fought back to earn the victory and have now gone 6-0-2 in their last eight matches.
The first half remained scoreless until Pisano slid a pass to Nelan and the junior forward buried a shot in the right-hand corner to give the Lions a 1-0 lead at the 37:19 mark.
The Knights tied it minutes after the intermission when Alex Ceron (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) put the ball on the foot of Kusi who fired a shot that was stopped on a terrific save by Friedman. Kusi picked up the rebound and poked into the back of the net to knot the game 1-1.
The Lions applied constant pressure over the next 15 minutes and finally regained the lead when senior Mike Razzoli (Parlin, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) took a pass from freshman Sean Casey (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) and knocked it past keeper Zakary Azmi (New Milford, NJ/Emerson) to take a 2-1 advantage.
Sophomore Vince McEnroe (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) sent a long pass to Nelan down the right side and he converted to push the lead to 3-1 with just under 20 minutes remaining. It was Nelan's team-leading seventh goal, while McEnroe increased his team-high assist total to five this season.
Kuzi scored his eighth and ninth goals of the year, while Avans notched his team-leading 10th goal. The Lions outshot the Gothic Knights 33-9. Azmi had nine saves and Friedman stopped 2 shots to earn his fifth win.
TCNJ returns to New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. hosting Rowan University at Lions' Stadium.
