The Gothic Times

Issue date: 11/25/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: NJCU Spots Information : Awal Ahmed's leaping golden-goal header with his back to the goal made ESPN's Top Plays

Media Credit: NJCU Spots Information : After Awal Ahmed's golden-goal header, jubilation was found at the bottom of a pile

New Jersey City University's (NJCU) dramatic, golden-goal victory over No. 3 ranked and previously unbeaten Montclair State University (MSU) in men's soccer on October 30 has made national headlines, and now national television.

The video highlight of NJCU's overtime win was featured on October 31 on ESPN's SportsCenter, and was selected as the No. 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 NJCU's final game of the 2009 season, as the Knights were deadlocked 1-1 with long-time rival MSU, the three-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) champions, and the 2009 NJAC regular season titlist.

After a foul by the Red Hawks, freshman midfielder, Jefferson Hurtado, 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. Hurtado unleashed a remarkable line-drive cross that cleared more than half the field and wound up in the box.

Senior midfielder, Awal Ahmed-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.

Ahmed's sixth and final goal of the year set off a wild celebration as the Gothic Knights secured the 2-1 upset win just 3:59 into the overtime period. It was Hurtado's first career assist.

Perhaps the biggest upset in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III this season, the win marked the highest ranked team NJCU has defeated in the 51-year history of men's soccer and snapped MSU's 19-game NJAC regular season unbeaten streak-23 games including the NJAC Tournament-while also ending the Red Hawk's 37-game regular-season unbeaten streak.

Ironically, the last team to defeat MSU during the regular season was the Gothic Knights when NJCU knocked off their rival 3-0 in Jersey City on October 13, 2007.

The two goals by NJCU marked the first time since November 17, 2007 that MSU has allowed two goals in any game-regular or postseason-snapping a 40-game streak of surrendering one goal or less.

The last team to score two goals against MSU was also the Gothic Knights-in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 won by the Red Hawks in overtime with 3-2.

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