2021 Soccer Schedule
NEWARK, NJ--Sixth-year head coach Fernando Barboto announced the Highlanders 2021 schedule, featuring a 17-match regular season slate which will kick off on August 26 at home on Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
NJIT, which played its first season in the America East Conference in the Spring 2021, made the programs first-ever appearance in the postseason tournament after sitting atop Pod C with a 4-2 conference record, earning the No. 3 seed. NJIT finished the season with a 4-5-1 overall record.
The Highlanders, which report into preseason camp on August 13, welcome back 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-American Rene White (Career: 52G, 38A, 82PTS), 2021 America East Striker of the Year Regsan Watkins (2021: 7G, 3A, 17PTS), 2019 ASUN Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Samuel Reisgys and 2021 America East Second-Team member Alejandro Rabell.
The regular season schedule consists of a total of 17 matches, including 10 matches at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium, nine non-conference contests, eight America East Conference matches and three against NCAA Tournament participants.
NJIT will tune-up before the start of the 2021 season with three scrimmages: vs. Lafayette (August 16), at Fairfield (August 18) and vs. Saint Peter's (August 21).
NJIT's 2021 campaign begins with three consecutive home matches. The Highlanders will host Fairleigh Dickinson on August 26, Rider on August 30 and James Madison on September 4. The match against James Madison, the 2021 Colonial Athletic Association Champions, will be the first between the two schools.
The Highlanders first road contest will be at BIG EAST Champions and NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance participant Seton Hall on September 10. Last season, the two teams played to a 3-3 double overtime draw in Newark.
NJIT will return home for three in a row, beginning with Iona on September 14. America East Conference play will kick off on September 18, hosting UMass Lowell and the three-match homestand will conclude on September 21 against La Salle.
The Highlanders will take to the road and play a pair of America East Conference matches at Albany on September 25 and at defending America East Champions New Hampshire on October 1.
NJIT will have another stretch of three home matches in the month of October, welcoming Loyola (MD) on October 5, Vermont on October 9 and Stony Brook on October 13.
The Highlanders will play its last four-out-of-five matches on the road against Hofstra on October 16, Drexel on October 19, Binghamton on October 23 and Hartford on November 2.
NJIT will host UMBC on Senior Night on October 29.
The America East Conference will return to a six-team post-season tournament, with the top two teams earning byes for the quarterfinal round on November 6. The semifinals will be held November 10 and the finals are set for either November 13 or 14.
