Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers University-Newark used smothering defense and opportunistic offense to run its winning streak to a program record nine matches with a 3-1 New Jersey Athletic Conference victory over Rowan University on Alumni Field.
 
Senior forward Raphael Araujo netted the first two goals of the contest to push his season total to 13 and freshman forward Chigozie Atubi added an insurance goal in the 76th minute as the Scarlet Raiders (9-2-0, NJAC 2-0-0) stayed perfect since the month of August.
 
Junior goalkeeper Matt Broomall was denied his third shutout of the season when Prof senior midfielder Oris Parker sent a shot off the right post on a through ball from sophomore midfielder Vinny Ignatowicz in the 79th minute.  Broomall (8-2-0) needed just one second half save to register the win.
 
The Raiders constructed a 20-4 edge in shots and forged a 5-3 advantage in corner kicks, but the feisty Profs kept it a one-goal contest until Araujo's second goal in the 68th minute despite playing the second half a man down.
 
It did not look like it would be a defensive struggle when Araujo putaway a perfect pass from near the left side end line just 51 seconds into the fray.  Araujo one-timed a crisp cross into the middle of the box from sophomore midfielder Anthony DeRisi.  Rutgers-Newark outshot Rowan, 10-1, in the opening period, but could not get the ball past senior goalkeeper Kevin Vasta who made two saves.
 
With just 18 seconds left in the opening period, Araujo, Vasta and a Prof defender collided while racing for a through ball just outside the 18 on the right side.  Both Rowan players went down and Araujo staggered as the ball bounced to the edge of the 18.  Vasta, who was outside of the 18, lunged ahead of Araujo to save a goal by grabbing the ball, but he drew a red card.
 
The ensuing kick by sophomore forward Dylan Elias was blocked to keep things close at the break.
 
Junior Graeham Gotrell replaced Vasta in goal and made three second-half saves, but constant pressure by the Raiders finally got to the visitors.  Freshman midfielder Tyler Logan denied a Rutgers-Newark goal when he headed a certain tally off the head of sophomore midfielder Hubert Dul out of the left side of the goal following a corner kick by DeRisi in the 74th minute.
 
Araujo was sandwiched in the box by two Rowan defenders to draw a penalty kick at 67:49.  He hammered his 13^th goal of the season into the right side of the net past a helpless Gotrell.
 
Atubi collected the ball after a corner kick by senior midfielder Rafael Donado and drove hard toward the right side of the goal.  He slipped a hard, low shot between a Gotrell and the right post when it appeared that he would be sending a crossing pass into the middle to make it 3-0.
 
With their ninth consecutive victory the Raiders eclipsed their one-year-old standard of eight set in matches two through nine.
 
Rutgers-Newark, which is in a tie for the NJAC lead with Montclair State (6-3-0, NJAC 2-0-0) and Rutgers University-Camden (6-4-0, NJAC 2-0-0), plays a pair of key conference matches on the road next week.  The Raiders are at Ramapo College (6-3-2, NJAC 0-1-1) at 3 o'clock on Wednesday and at New Jersey City (1-7-3, NJAC 0-2-0) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.