NEWARK, N.J. – The Rutgers-Newark men's soccer team closed out the regular season with a 2-0 victory over Kean University on Wednesday afternoon at Frederick Douglass Field, securing the No. 4 seed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament. The Scarlet Raiders will host SUNY New Paltz in the NJAC quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Rutgers-Newark celebrated Senior Day before kickoff, honoring five seniors for their contributions to the program: No. 1 Ilan Golden, No. 4 Ali Celik, No. 6 Nicholas Gomez, No. 17 Daniel Velazquez and No. 27 Erick Cortes.
The Scarlet Raiders capped the celebration with a strong performance against the Cougars, controlling the match offensively and outshooting Kean, 23-7, including a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal.
Zahra-Deen Amadou led the way offensively, scoring both goals for Rutgers-Newark. Amadou opened the scoring in the 28th minute, finishing a pass from Cortes to give the Scarlet Raiders a 1-0 lead. He struck again in the 43rd minute, this time off an assist from Ian Brown, doubling the advantage before halftime.
Defensively, Rutgers-Newark kept Kean off the scoreboard throughout the match. Golden made 3 saves to earn the shutout as the Scarlet Raiders closed the regular season with a victory.
Rutgers-Newark finished the regular season with an 8-3-5 overall record and a 5-2-2 mark in NJAC play, earning the fourth seed and home-field advantage for the conference tournament's opening round.
The Scarlet Raiders will welcome SUNY New Paltz back to Frederick Douglass Field on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the NJAC quarterfinals.
For the latest news, updates, and information on Rutgers-Newark Athletics, visit rutgersnewarkathletics.com. Fans can also stay up to date by following the Scarlet Raiders on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
