It is frustrating not finding the back of the net, but Navy men’s soccer coach Tim O’Donohue is seeing his young squad progressing by the game.
Now, he just needs the offense to break through.
Mamadou Guirassy scored in the 27th minute for NJIT and the Mids failed to find the back of the net for the second straight contest as the Highlanders blanked Navy at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility, 1-0.
NJIT (2-0) nearly got on the board multiple times before Guirassy’s winner. Danny Cordeiro, who scored the winner in the Highlanders’ season opener, sent a volley directly at Navy (0-2) goalkeeper Mac Burke (five saves) in the 17th minute and Thomas Radon followed by hitting the top bar six minutes later.
Guirassy would not be denied his opportunity with 19 minutes remaining in the first half. He took a pass from Furkan Kokcu in the top right corner of the box, took a step and sent a hard, low shot to the far post for the lead. An all region selection a year ago, it was Guirassy’s first of the season.
The Mids were forced to compete without senior captain Brock Dudley, who suffered a concussion late in Friday night’s season-opening, 1-0 loss at Manhattan. Dudley, a preseason all Patriot League selection, played every minute last year as a junior. Navy settled down quickly without the veteran’s presence
“We at one point had five freshmen out there and you could see guys like (Wyatt) Millard and Jarvian…
