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Bryan Akongo celebration Saint Joseph's
Matthew Richman
1
NJIT NJT (2-3-1, 0-0-0)
2
Winner Rider RID (4-2-0, 0-0-0)
NJIT NJT
(2-3-1, 0-0-0)
1
Final
2
Rider RID
(4-2-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
NJIT NJT 1 0 1
Rider RID 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men's Soccer Comes Back to Defeat NJIT For 4th-Straight Win

Diop scores game winner, Punselie adds goal and assist, Akongo assists twice

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Momo Diop (Thies, Senegal/Prive Serigne Touba) scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute as the Rider University men's soccer team came back to defeat NJIT, 2-1, Saturday night on Ben Cohen Field. With the win, the Broncs' fourth-straight, Rider improves to 4-2, while the Highlanders slip to 2-3-1. Ezra Punselie (Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands/Zaanlands Lyceum) scored the equalizer, while Bryan Akongo (London, England/Harris Academy Orpington [Georgia State/Robert Morris]) assisted on both goals and Adel Al Masude (Brussels, Belgium/GO Lyceum Gent) also added an assist on Diop's game winner.  

NJIT opened the scoring just over eight minutes into regulation, with Asembo Augo taking a pass down the left sideline, evading his defender back toward the top, left corner of the 18-yard box and shooting off the right post and in past Broncs goalkeeper Adam Salama (Ramle, Israel/Orthodox [Ottawa Univ.]). The Broncs equalized in the 27th minute, with Punselie and Akongo working a give-and-go near the top of the 18-yard box before Punselie ripped a shot into the right upper 90 for the 1-1 tie.

In the 73rd minute, the Broncs connected passes through the midfield, with Diop starting and finishing the play. Diop passed to Al Masude, whose back-heel flick played Akongo ahead and the senior forward clinically fed Diop into the box and behind the defense for a right-footed finish low inside the left post.

Quotes & Notes
"Really happy with the performance. I think it was two good teams, two teams that can play a bit. They really caused us problems with the rotations and interchanges. So many technical players all over the field. I think we responded well. I think we had a good second half from the first whistle. We had a good start. We almost found a goal again in the first 20 or 30 seconds of the game. We started having a good rhythm on the ball there at the start of the second half for the first 20 minutes of it and I'm really pleased with the effort." – Rider Head Coach Chad Duernberger

- The Broncs lead the all-time series with NJIT, 5-2-5. Rider and NJIT had played to ties in each of the last three seasons, including a 1-1 draw last Sept. 8 in Newark.
- Salama made three saves in the win.  
- Cole Sotack (Doylestown, PA /Central Bucks East [Rutgers]), Jack McGeechan (Allendale, NJ/Northern Highlands Regional), Martin Chladek (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium Voderadska [Montevallo]), Punselie, Akongo, Theo Da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil/University of Rio Grande), Andrew Erickson (San Antonio, TX/International School of the Americas [Kentucky]), Max Schrader (Cherry Hill, NJ/Scholar Athletes Leadership Academy) and Salama each played all 90 minutes.
- The Broncs utilized just two players off the bench in the match.

Broncs By The Numbers
- Akongo's two assists give him a team-leading three on the season to go along with his team lead of nine points.
- Akongo has at least two points in each of the Broncs' four-consecutive wins.
- Diop scored his team-leading fourth goal of the year, with all four coming in the last three matches. It was his second game-winner of the year.
- Punselie scored for the second time in as many games and has a point in three-straight.
- Al Masude's assist was his first point of the year and the 12th assist of his Rider career.
- Rider took a 17-9 edge in shots, including a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal.
- Each team was cautioned twice.  
- Rider took five corner kicks to the Highlanders' two.

Up Next
- The Broncs return to action Tuesday, when they travel to La Salle. Kickoff from Philadelphia is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN+. 
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