UNION, NJ | Franco Catania's late penalty kick to complete the hattrick was enough to secure three points for the Scarlet Raiders with a 3-2 victory over Kean University in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play. The Scarlet Raiders extend their unbeaten streak to eight in a row to improve to 8-3-2, 3-0-2 while the Cougars drop to 6-4-1, 2-3.
As a team, the Scarlet Raiders held a slight 18(5) to 15(4) edge in shots while also taking eight corners to just five for the Cougars. In a physical contest, Kean was called for 19 fouls and five yellows while Rutgers-Newark was issued two yellows on 9 fouls.
Catania put Kean's keeper under pressure from the first whistle, testing him with a trio of shots before the 15 minute mark. On his fourth attempt he struck gold when Miguel Sencion slipped a pass through to Catania for the game's opening tally. Catania would double his tally in the 22nd minute with a penalty kick goal to give his team a 2-0 lead early on in the NJAC contest.
The Scarlet Raiders' defense showed cracks in their armor in the second half as Kean evened the score at two. The first came just one minute into the second half while the second found the back of the net via a penalty kick in the 57th minute.
With the game time trickling down, the Scarlet Raiders were awarded a penalty kick in the 81st minute. With the game on the line, none other than Catania stepped up to the spot to put his team on his back. Catania, for the second time in the game, beat the keeper from the spot to secure the win for the Scarlet Raiders and lift his goal total for the year to 15, tying him for first in the nation.
Rutgers-Newark returns to action on Monday, October 11 when they host CCNY in non-conference action at 7:30pm.
