Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Freshman forward Chigozie Atubi's goal with 20 seconds left lifted Rutgers University-Newark to a 2-1 win over No. 13 Montclair State and earned the Scarlet Raiders an opening round bye in the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
 
Under the lights on Alumni Field on Senior Night, the Raiders (15-4-0, NJAC 7-2-0) snapped the Red Hawks' 11-match winning streak, handing Montclair State (15-4-0, NJAC 8-1-0) its first league loss of the season in the regular-season finale for each team.
 
As the final moments ticked away in a physical defensive struggle, sophomore defender Zakaria Sodki launched a throw in from the right side to the middle of the box where Red Hawk senior goalkeeper Kevin Lynch went high to punch the ball away with his right hand.  The ball bounced once to a charging Atubi just outside the left side of the box.  The rookie one-timed a low, hard shot through the legs of a defender into the middle of the net to set off a celebration.
 
Sodki figured in both Raider tallies.  In the 11^th minute, he sent a cross from the right to the left side where sophomore forward Charlie O'Connell headed his 13^th goal of the season over a charging MSU sophomore goalkeeper Michael Gonzalez.  Gonzalez was injured in a collision on the play and was replaced by Lynch.
 
Junior midfielder Lucas Terci drilled a penalty kick into the right side of the net against Raider junior goalkeeper Matt Broomall in the 59^th minute to level the contest.  Broomall (14-4-0) would need to make just one save on a Terci shot in the 70^th minute to register the win.
 
The Red Hawks had several solid scoring chances but could not find the goal while the Raiders' accuracy proved to be the difference.  Each team took 11 shots with Rutgers-Newark putting six shots on goal.  Lynch posted two saves in each period.  MSU had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
 
Rutgers-Newark, which had never downed MSU in its history until a 4-1 upset in the NJAC Championship semifinals last November, now has taken two in a row in the series.  It was a critical win for the Raiders who had dropped their last two matches in league play after reeling off a program-record 14 straight wins.  Rutgers-Newark set a new program record for NJAC wins in a season.

It was a fitting Senior Night for Edgar Abreu, Raphael Araujo, Nick Bucciero, Patryk Dawidczyk, Rafael Donado, Pat Holliday and Diego Moraes.
 
In Galloway, Rutgers-Camden (11-7-1, NJAC 6-3-1) battled to a 1-1 double-overtime deadlock with Stockton (11-4-5, NJAC 3-2-4) to boost the Raiders into second place in the NJAC regular-season standings.  Both the Raiders and Montclair State will enjoy first round byes in the 6-team conference playoffs which begin on Saturday.

NJAC Men's Soccer Championship Tournament Bracket (PDF)
 
Rutgers-Newark will host an NJAC semifinal match on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Alumni Field against the winner of the No. 3 Rutgers-Camden and No. 6 William Paterson opening round match on Saturday.  Montclair State will host the winner of the No. 4 Kean vs. No. 5 Stockton opening round match in the other semifinal matchup.