Hitoaliaj's Overtime Goal Sends UB Men's Soccer To 2-1 Win At NYIT
Purple Knights Pick Up Big ECC Win.
Old Westbury, N.Y.-Sophomore Arnold Hitoaliaj (Tirana, Albania/Bridgeport Central HS) scored the game-winning 1:59 into the first overtime off an assist from classmate Lee Middleton (Newcastle, England) to lift the University of Bridgeport men's soccer team to a key East Coast Conference win over the host NYIT Bears. The goal is Hitoaliaj's fourth of the season and his first since the second game of the year. The victory is UB's first road win of the 2010 season, and it lifts the Purple Knights overall record to 6-5-0. Bridgeport is now 3-1-0 in a conference play. Saturday's win also snaps a two-game losing UB streak, and the overtime victory is the team's third win in extra time this season. NYIT is now 3-6-1 overall and 1-3-0 in the ECC.
After New York Tech scored late in the first half to take a 1-0 lead into the second half, UB sophomore Jonathan Aristizabal (Medellin, Colombia) tied things up at 1-1 when he connected off a free kick at the 62:17 mark. The goal is Jonathan's first of the 2010 season.
The Purple Knights dodged bullet late in regulation when an NYIT header hit the post with 47 seconds to go in the second half.
Bridgeport is back in action on Tuesday afternoon when they travel to New Jersey to face the Bloomfield College Deacons. Bloomfield is the top-ranked team in the East Region of NCAA Division II men's soccer so far in 2010.