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WALTHAM, Mass. (November 10, 2017) – For the fourth time in five years, the Rutgers University-Newark men's soccer team is in the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship. The eighth-ranked Scarlet Raiders will take on Bowdoin College of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in the first round of the tournament Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Waltham, Mass (Brandeis University).
 
Rutgers-Newark (20-2-0) earned the program's first-ever New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title and first-ever automatic berth to the tournament last Saturday with a thrilling 1-0 victory at then-No. 6 Rowan University. Senior Hubert Dul headed home a cross on a set piece from sophomore Fabio De Sousa, and the Rutgers-Newark defense blanked one of the top scoring offenses in the nation.
 
The team's previous three appearances in the national tournament all came via the at-large berth (2013, 2014, 2016), and in those three appearances, Rutgers-Newark is 4-3-0.
 
Bowdoin is making its third appearance in the tournament in the last four years and are 4-5-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. The Polar Bears were one of five NESCAC teams to receive an at-large berth, boasting an overall record of 10-4-3.
 
The winner of Saturday's Bowdoin-Rutgers-Newark match will square off against the winner of host Brandeis and Western Connecticut State University Sunday for a berth in the Sectional (or 'Sweet 16') round of the tournament.
 
Tickets/Directions:
Tickets are $6 for general admission and $3 for students/seniors. Children under the age of 12 are $2. Tickets will be sold at the field two hours prior to the first game each day. Gordon Field is located at 415 South Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. Parking is available in the lots adjacent to and behind the Gosman Sports Center.
 
From the Coach:
"The team is excited and looking forward to Saturday's game and the weekend as a whole," said Rutgers-Newark Head Coach Kevin East. "We realize this is a very challenging four-team bracket with strong teams from some of the top conferences in the country. With that said, we feel that what we have done from August to now has prepared us to succeed. We expect Bowdoin to be big and physical, similar to Amherst, and they will present some challenges for us. However, it won't be anything we haven't seen before so it will come down to who can impose their style."
 
Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders (20-2-0, 8-1-0 NJAC) | Schedule | Stats
The Scarlet Raider defense has been stingy all season long, racking up a sparkling 14 clean sheets overall. R-N is ranked eighth nationally with a .448 goals-against average, and the team's .636 shutout percentage checks in at No. 11.
 
Rutgers-Newark saw a league-high seven players earn All-NJAC distinction, three of which received major awards from the conference. Dul was named the Pat Baldiserra Midfielder of the Year and first-team All-NJAC, De Sousa picked up Offensive Player of the Year honors after earning NJAC Rookie of the Year accolades as a freshman, and sophomore goalkeeper Andres Medina – who was named first-team Academic All-District Thursday – pocketed NJAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors. Junior forward Stefano Muniz, junior back Brandon Goldy and senior back Arek Szoldrowski all were named second-team All-NJAC, while junior midfielder Breno Lustosa was honorable mention all-conference.
 
De Sousa paces Rutgers-Newark in goals with 18 and points with 43. He leads the nation in game-winning goals with nine, and a total of five Scarlet Raiders have registered double-digit points in 2017. Dul is second on the team with 23, and he leads R-N with nine assists, senior Chigozie Atubi is third with 20 (eight goals, four assists) and Muniz has 16 (six goals, four assists).
 
The Scarlet Raiders have scored 58 goals on a grand total of 476 shots, allowing only 10 goals against on 230 bids. An efficient 47.1 percent of their shots have been on target, and incredibly, Rutgers-Newark holds a 224-87 edge in shots on frame this season.
 
Newark brings a five-match winning streak into the tournament. During that span, the Raiders have three shutouts and have outscored the opposition 13-3. The team's longest winning streak of the year was 12 matches at the start of the season.
 
Bowdoin Polar Bears (10-4-3 overall, 6-2-2 NESCAC) | Schedule | Stats
Bowdoin, like Rutgers-Newark, is one of the top defenses in the nation, ranking 17th nationally and second in the NESCAC in goals-against average (.557). Goalkeeper Stevie Van Siclen is 21st nationally in individual goals-against average, and the Polar Bears have allowed more than one goal against in just one match this season. Five Bowdoin players earned all-conference honors, including three first-team honorees in Van Siclen, back Ryan Bubb and midfielder Moctar Niang.
 
Three Bears scored a team-high three goals in senior Ethan Ellsworth and juniors CJ Masterson and Levi Morant. Ellsworth leads Bowdoin with eight points as the Polar Bears average 13.6 shots and 1.12 goals per match.
 
Bowdoin is no stranger to close games as its last 10 contests have been decided by one goal or less. Last time out, the Bears fell in the conference semifinals to Middlebury, 1-0, and going into that match they had played to three-straight draws.
 
Fans unable to make the game can follow live via links at the top of this page or at www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com. Fans are also encouraged to follow @ScarletRaiders on twitter and Instagram for the latest on Scarlet Raiders men's soccer.