NEWARK, N.J. — The Rutgers-Newark men's soccer team scored twice in the opening three minutes and never looked back, defeating Penn State-Abington, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at Frederick Douglass Field.
The Scarlet Raiders wasted little time finding their rhythm as Erick Cortes put Rutgers-Newark on the board just 51 seconds into the match. Gabe Gomez provided the assist on Cortes' opening goal.
Less than two minutes later, Zahra-Deen Amadou doubled the Scarlet Raiders' advantage, scoring in the third minute to give Rutgers-Newark a 2-0 lead.
Penn State-Abington answered in the 34th minute when Mohamed Konneh found the back of the net, cutting the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime.
Rutgers-Newark quickly restored its two-goal cushion after the break. Just 35 seconds into the second half, Gomez scored off an assist from Amadou to put the Scarlet Raiders ahead, 3-1.
The Scarlet Raiders controlled the offensive pressure throughout the afternoon, finishing with a 14-6 advantage in shots and an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. Rutgers-Newark also held Penn State-Abington without a goal over the final 56 minutes.
David Bejarno made four saves in goal for the Scarlet Raiders, including two in each half, to secure the victory.
Cortes finished with a goal on five shots, including four on target, while Gomez recorded a goal and an assist. Amadou added a goal and an assist in the victory.
With the victory, Rutgers-Newark moves to 1-0-1 on the season. They will be back on the road next game for another non-conference matchup, this time with the Rams of Farmingdale State College.
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.
