Game 5	vs Rider (2-0-1)
Date | Time	Thursday, September 5, 2019 | 6:00 pm
Location | Arena	Newark, N.J. | Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
All-Time Series	Rider leads 6-4
Live Stats	In-Game Statistics
Live Video	Highlander Sports Network

NEWARK, N.J. --- NJIT Women's Soccer (1-2-1) will host Rider University on Thursday evening as the Highlanders look for their second-straight win over a New Jersey opponent.

LAST TIME OUT
Goals from Nora O'Connor and Whitney Roth propelled NJIT to a 2-0 victory over the Saint Peter's Peacocks Saturday afternoon at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium. After a pair of one-goal losses and a season-opening scoreless draw, NJIT earned its first victory of the season in dominating fashion. The Highlanders outshot Saint Peters 30-2, including a 21-0 first half edge.

O'Connor scored the first goal of the season - and her career - in the 39th minute off an assist from Lauren Chamberlain, while Roth notched her first-ever goal in her second season in the 60th minute on assists from Jessica Aseng and Fiona Wright.

The 30-shot tally marks the most for a Highlander team in its Division I era, eclipsing the 27 attempts the team took against South Carolina State on November 7, 2007.

FIRST TIME IN
Goalkeeper Cassidy Landis started her first collegiate game against Saint Peter's in place of Molly Saylor and pitched a shutout with one save.

SAYLOR EARNS FIRST ASUN HONOR
For her efforts in the first two games of the season, Saylor earned the ASUN Conference's first Defensive Player of the Week award of the season. Saylor ended last weekend with a 0.43 goals against average, a .909 save percentage, one shutout and ten saves in 207:09 of playing time against UMBC at home and Maryland on the road.

ALL-TIME SERIES
NJIT and Rider have played ten times prior to Thursday's meeting, with the Broncos leading the Highlanders 6-4 in the series. NJIT has won the last two matchups, taking a 3-1 decision in 2017 and shutting out Rider, 2-0, last year.

SCOUTING RIDER
Rider enters Thursday unbeaten in its first three contests, all against teams from the NJ/NY area. The Broncos defeated Wagner in double overtime (3-2) and shut out St. Francis Brooklyn (2-0) before playing Fairleigh Dickinson to a scoreless draw. Rider is led by Hailey Russell (2 G / 1 A), Nikki Arrington (2 G), and Carmen Carbonell (0.59 GAA, 13 saves, .867 save percentage).

NEW ERA FOR NJIT ATHLETICS
Women's Soccer's opener against UMBC was the first regular season game played on NJIT's new field, which was completed this summer. It  also marked the first on-campus contest for the Highlanders' three outdoor teams - women's soccer, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse - since November 7, 2015.

For more information on the project, please visit this link: http://bit.ly/30jV1hA.

2019 OUTLOOK
NJIT will have 19 returners and seven newcomers on the roster as the Highlanders look to follow up on a historic 2018 campaign that saw the team set a program record for wins (11) and finish as the regular season runner-up in the ASUN Conference. 

The Highlanders will be led by 2018 ASUN Coach of the Year Ally Nick, ASUN Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection Fiona Wright (11 goals in 2018), and Second Team All-ASUN honoree Nicole Loehle (2 goals; started 17 games for ASUN's 4th-ranked defense at 1.17 goals allowed per game).

NEXT UP
NJIT will wrap up its non-conference schedule with three straight road games, beginning with a trip to New Rochelle, N.Y. to face Iona on Sunday, September 8 at Noon.