NEWARK, NJ—Bryant scored twice in the final 4:27 to spoil NJIT's final home women's soccer match of the 2008 season, 3-1, Sunday afternoon on Lubetkin Field.

Bryant, which had superior roster numbers, utilizing a total of 18 players in the game compared to NJIT's 13, overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with three unanswered second-half goals. Included was the game-winner with 4:27 left and an insurance goal 48 seconds from the finish.

NJIT had taken the lead midway through the first half on the third goal of the season for sophomore #Kori Washington#, who had been in the game only 47 seconds when she staked NJIT to a 1-0 lead at the 22:16 mark.

Washington's tally held up into the second half, when Steph Del Mistro tied the game at 58:39. Kaitlyn Hinck broke the tie for the Bulldogs at 85:33 and Brooke Duchaney added the third Bulldog tally less than four minutes later.

Sarah Donovan assisted on all three Bryant goals and Del Mistro, who had scored Bryant's first goal, assisted on the third.

Jessica Neales made two saves in backstopping the win for Bryant in goal.

Emma Vinski, who was one of four Highlanders honored in pre-game Senior Day ceremonies, assisted on the NJIT goal. 

NJIT goalkeeper Sadie Mele went the distance in goal and made nine saves.

The final statistics reflected Bryant's territorial dominance for most of the contest. The Bulldogs outshot the Highlanders, 28-4 overall and 12-2 in shots on goal, and the corner kick total was 7-1 for Bryant.

Bryant, which is playing its first season of Division I competition after having been a power at the Division II level (17-2-5 in 2007), applied nearly-continuous pressure from the outset, but the game remained scoreless into the 23rd minute.

Washington and Vinski may have caught the Bryant defense flatfooted, as Washington, newly inserted into the game, used her quickness to spurt past a defender and run onto a through ball from Vinski.

Veering to the left side of the box, Washington drew Bryant's Neales off her line and then fired across the goalmouth and into the far side of the goal for a 1-0 NJIT lead at 22:16.

The momentum shifted away from Bryant's early pressure after the NJIT goal, with more of the action taking place in the middle third, with possession going back and forth to no particular advantage. The even-handed play continued into the second half with neither team threatening.

NJIT's Erika Taugher, who was also honored in the Senior Day ceremonies, got what would be her team's best chance of the second half when she blasted a hard shot that was saved nicely by Bryant's Neales in the 55th minute.

Taugher, who is competing this season as a graduate student, shot from straight on after receiving a fine pass from freshman Piper Lunan, who had beaten a defender on the right wing before serving the ball to Taugher.

The back and forth at midfield continued a few minutes more before Donovan sent a pass wide and ahead, splitting two defenders, to Del Mistro, who corralled it in stride and fired past Mele for the tying goal at 58:39.

Bryant's coach, Chris Flint substituted freely throughout the match and his team's fresher legs took their toll on NJIT after the game was tied.

The look on the field returned to what it had been to start the game and Bryant again dominated control of the ball and location of play.

The Bulldogs were unlucky not to break the tie in sequence in the 64th minute, when Mary Green hit the crossbar and then Mele made a fine save on Donovan's bid off of the rebound.

With Bryant continuing its pressure, NJIT suffered another blow when Taugher was injured with about 15 minutes left. She eventually came off for the closing minutes, which resulted in the Highlanders playing with 10 for the remainder of the contest.

Playing up a player and keeping on the heat, Bryant got the game-winner in the 86th minute when Hinck drove home a rebound of her own initial shot that Mele had punched away. Donovan contributed her second assist with another fine pass out of midfield and into the box to set up Hinck's first try.

Donovan and Del Mistro teamed up again on the third goal, with Donovan finding Del Mistro open on the left side of the penalty area not far from the end line. Del Mistro then crossed to an open Duchaney, who scored easily, sealing the win in the final minute.

The win lifted Bryant to 3-8-3 in its first year of Division I competition, while NJIT is 2-13-1, with one regular season match left.

The Highlanders will play next Sunday in Washington, DC, in a 1 pm United Soccer Conference match at Howard.

After that, NJIT will take part in the United Soccer Conference tournament at Longwood starting on October 31.

In addition to Taugher and Vinski, who is a fourth-year student playing her third season, NJIT honored Katie DeRosa and redshirt Briana Morales in the Senior Day ceremony. NJIT also recognized the seven seniors in uniform for Bryant.