NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers–Newark men's soccer punched its ticket to the ECAC Championship match with a dominant 5–1 win over Franciscan University in Saturday's semifinal.

The Barons got on goal early registering two shots on goal ion the first 10 minutes but Ilan Golden came up with saves on both attempts. The Scarlet Raiders struck first late in the opening half when Erick Cortes finished a feed from Ian Brown to open the scoring. Just four minutes later, Brown converted from the penalty kick to make it 2–0, giving Rutgers–Newark full control. Franciscan pulled one back in the 42nd minute, but the Scarlet Raiders carried a 2–1 advantage going into the half. 

Rutgers–Newark came out firing in the second half, quickly reclaiming command of the match. Pablo Moreno extended the lead to 3–1 less than four minutes into the period, and from there the Raiders never looked back. Brown completed his standout performance with two more goals in the 74th and 82nd minutes to complete a hat trick and seal the 5–1 victory. Rutgers–Newark generated steady pressure on the goal throughout, while goalkeeper Ilan Golden anchored the defense with five saves.

The win propels the Scarlet Raiders into the ECAC Finals tomorrow at 12pm on their home turf at Frederick Douglass Field. They will face off with the winner of Juniata and William Paterson. 

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