NEWARK, N.J. - Rutgers‐Newark Scarlet Raiders advanced to the semifinals of the ECAC South Region Men's Soccer Tournament on the back of a composed and commanding performance in the quarterfinals. From the opening whistle, Rutgers-Newark imposed its tempo, opening the scoring just 1 minute 21 seconds into the match when junior forward Erick Cortes finished a slick pass from Lowen Gabriel to give the Scarlet Raiders an early lead. The noise did not die down from there.

Throughout the match, Rutgers buried its opponents under a mountain of chances: the team registered 22 total shots with 13 on target, while the opponent mustered a mere 5 shots, only 2 of those on goal. The corner-kick differential (9–2) further underscored Rutgers's control of territory and possession. At the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper Ilan Golden was steady and uncompromising, logging a shut-out and denying the few efforts that threatened.

As the second half entered its final stretch, Rutgers delivered the decisive blow. At 81:03, Cortes once again showed up, this time as the provider. He flicked a pass into space for Jake Milne, who ripped it home to make it 2-0. 

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