Box Score NEWARK, N.J. – Rutgers University-Newark carried a lead into the final 20 minutes only to fall to third-seeded Rutgers University-Camden, 3-1, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference semifinals on Alumni Field.
Senior forward
Raphael Araujo fired a penalty kick inside the left post in the 42
nd minute for his 18th goal of the season for the first tally which held up until there was just 18:36 left on the clock. The tally gave the senior 100 points for his two-year career in Scarlet & Black on a school-record 45 goals and 10 assists.
Raptor junior forward Mike Ryan answered with his 13
th and 14
th goals of the season to upend the Raiders. Ryan collected a loose ball after a blocked shot just outside the left side of the box and put the equalizer into the middle of the goal at 71:24. In the 85
th minute, Ryan took a through ball from sophomore midfielder Juan Rojas and put the game-winner into the left side of the net.
With the final seconds ticking off, Rutgers-Camden junior midfielder Grant Taylor, who was running up the left side after taking a through pass from junior midfielder Connor Hurff, launched a last-season bomb from 45 yards out that sailed into the left side of the netting with one second remaining. Both teams had already left their bench areas when the goal was signaled – delaying the finish for several minutes.
Junior goalkeeper
Matt Broomall (14-5-0) made seven saves while Raptor freshman Sean Matias notched three of his four stops in the second period.
The Raiders out-shot the Raptors, 10-4, in the opening period to forge a final edge of 19-13, but Rutgers-Camden put 10 shots on goal compared the Rutgers-Newark's five. The Raider also constructed a 6-3 edge in corner kicks.
Ryan's tallies gave him 118 career points to tie the Rutgers-Camden record of established by Mitch Grotti during a 4-year career that ended last fall. Ryan has 53 goals and 12 assists in three seasons. He put four of his five shots on goal tonight.
Araujo put three of his five shots on goal but only sophomore forward
Anthony DeRisi and freshman forward
Chigozie Atubi joined the senior in forcing Matias to make saves.
The second-seeded Scarlet Raiders (15-5-0) lost in the league playoffs to the Scarlet Raptors (13-7-1) for the second straight season. Last November, the Raptors took a 2-0 decision in the NJAC finals on their way to the NCAA D-III Championship match.
Rutgers-Camden advances to Friday night's league championship match at top-seeded Montclair State (16-4-0), a 3-0 winner over No. 4 Kean in the other semifinal contest. The Raptors have claimed the last three NJAC crowns.
The loss could prove costly to the Raiders' NCAA D-III Championship hopes. Rutgers-Newark has dropped three of its last four matches – including a pair to Rutgers-Camden – with the field of 61 teams set to be announced on Monday. Rutgers-Newark would need for the selection committee to take two at-large teams from the 10-team NJAC with the league champion getting an automatic berth. Rutgers-Newark, Rutgers-Newark and Montclair State made the field in 2013.
