MSOCCER: NJCU on SportsCenter (10-31-09)

JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City Universitys dramatic, golden-goal victory over #3 ranked and previously unbeaten Montclair State University in mens soccer on October 30 has made national headlines, and now national television. The video highlight of NJCUs overtime win was featured on October 31 on ESPNs SportsCenter, and was selected as the #9 play of the day during the Top Plays segment of the 11 p.m. broadcast.

It is the first ever known instance of an NJCU athletics highlight being featured on SportsCenter and one of a handful of times a Gothic Knight team or student-athlete has been chronicled by the network since 2007.

The play occurred during the first overtime period of NJCUs final game of the 2009 season, as the Knights were deadlocked, 1-1, with long-time rival Montclair State, the three-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champions, and the 2009 NJAC regular season titlist.

After a foul by the Red Hawks, freshman midfielder JEFFERSON HURTADO (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) was awarded a free kick from his own defensive half of the field, in front of the opposing bench, approximately five yards from the sideline and 15 yards behind the midfield line. The rookie had just entered the game in the 79th minute as a substitution for the first time. Hurtado unleashed a remarkable, line-drive cross that cleared more than half the field and wound up in the box. Senior midfielder AWAL AHMED (Elizabeth, NJ/Linden)—with his back to the goal, 15 yards away from the target—timed the play perfectly. Ahmed leaped in the air and headed the ball up and over the opposing keeper, who was unable to backpedal to his line in time to stop the shot.

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