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The NJIT Highlanders are the 61st team in our 2018 schedule preview series and the third and final independent team. The Highlanders finished 1-14 last year, with their only win coming against Hampton.
Here’s the entire 2018 schedule:
NJIT’s 2018 Schedule
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Road Team | Home Team | Special Notes | Last Year's Meeting(s) |
| 2/3 | NJIT | Lehigh | 15-5 L | |
| 2/10 | Lafayette | NJIT | 12-11 L | |
| 2/13 | NJIT | Army West Point | 19-6 L | |
| 2/17 | NJIT | Delaware | First ever meeting | |
| 2/24 | VMI | NJIT | 9-8 L | |
| 3/3 | NJIT | Quinnipiac | 11-8 L | |
| 3/6 | NJIT | Princeton | 22-8 L | |
| 3/10 | NJIT | UMass | First ever meeting | |
| 3/16 | NJIT | St. Joe's | First ever meeting | |
| 3/20 | NJIT | Fairfield | 13-6 L | |
| 3/24 | NJIT | Wagner | 11-4 L | |
| 3/31 | Manhattan | NJIT | 9-4 L | |
| 4/7 | NJIT | Monmouth | 10-5 L | |
| 4/14 | Hampton | NJIT | 17-3 W | |
| 4/21 | NJIT | Georgetown | First ever meeting | |
| 4/28 | NJIT | UMass Lowell | 12-5 L |
The Highlanders add Delaware, Georgetown, St. Joe’s and UMass. They get rid of Hofstra, Mercer, and Rutgers. They add one more game this year.
Let’s check out some notable games on this schedule:
Best Game: vs. Lafayette
Since they’re an independent, we’ll make it the best game out of the entire schedule. The Leopards have an interim head coach in Ed Williams, and face the Highlanders early in the season. Aaron Forster started to grow as a leader last year, topping NJIT with 34 goals and 43 assists. The Highlanders lost by one last year.
Under The Radar Game: vs. Manhattan
Similar to NJIT, the Jaspers have a good offensive player in Parker Giarratana. Manhattan used a four-goal fourth quarter to go past the Highlanders in the game. Giarratana had the first two goals in the quarter. Maybe it’s another big game that Travis Johnson and the Highlanders are able to win now.
Possible Upset: @ Quinnipiac
This could be the team’s first big win since starting up in 2015. They’ve beaten Dartmouth and Hampton for their only two wins in three years of play, and they’re not that good. The Bobcats do have some talented players on their roster, and the Highlanders put up a good fight last year.