LEXINGTON, Va.- Playing without eight freshman due to the New Market March and several others due to injury, the VMI men's soccer team led NJIT 2-1 with nearly 32 minutes remaining, but two unanswered Highlander goals in the 76th and 83rd-minute resulted in a 3-2 defeat Sun., Sept. 4 at VMI's Patchin Field. VMI sophomore Aaron White played a part in each Keydet score, recording a goal as well as an assist, and had a team-high five shots.
After an uneventful first 33 minutes of action, VMI (0-3, 0-0 BSC) found the back of the net for the first time on the young season at the 33:40 mark of the match. White sent a through ball from the top of the 18, finding senior co-captain Stewart Wilkinson who slid a shot past NJIT keeper Lars Maalen-Johansen into the lower left corner of the goal to give VMI an 8-1.
NJIT (1-2) answered back with 1:11 remaining in the half, as a defensive giveaway by the Keydet defense resulted in a shot by Highlander forward Franco Gamero from the top of the 18-yard box. The blast sailed past the diving VMI keeper Taylor Feuerstein to knot the match at 1-1 heading into the second-half of action.
Although the Keydets played without several key freshman, VMI did welcome back the dynamic Matt Seinfeld to the central midfield. The junior made his presence known in the 58th-minute, as he beat a pair of NJIT defenders down the left side of the field, sending a cross to White inside the six. The sophomore took care of the rest, finishing the chance into the lower right corner of the goal to give the Keydets a 2-1 lead with 32 minutes of action remaining.
NJIT began to press on the weary VMI defense, and almost capitalized in the 21st-minute as the squad generated a shot by Emeka Nwachukwu that was stopped by Feuerstein. The save resulted in a corner-kick that the Keydet defense was able to clean up before any further danger amounted.
The Highlander efforts did however pay off in the 76th-minute, as Gamero knotched his second score of the contest on a feed from Christian Galindo. The ensuing shot beat Feuerstein to his left to knot the contest at 2-2 with less than 15 minutes remaining.
NJIT put the game away with 7:14 left in regulation as Galindo earned his second and third points of the day after a headed clearance by the VMI back line. Galindo gathered the loose ball 25-yards out, and nailed in inner right side of the goal to give the Highlanders the eventual game winner at 3-2.
Maalen made two saves in net for NJIT, while Feuerstein made 10 stops for VMI. The Highlanders out shot VMI 18-11, and had six corner kick opportunities. White's five shots for VMI led the squad, while senior Ayao Sossou and sophomore Chase Barnett had two shots each.
VMI hits the road for its first extended road trip of the season Sept. 9-11. The squad will travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Lipscomb on Fri., Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m., and follow that match up on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against Belmont. Live stats will be available via VMIKeydets.com.
