News Release
Rutgers-Camden ties #8 NJCU
CAMDEN � Rutgers University-Camden junior captain A.J. O�Malley (Westmont, NJ/Haddon Township) scored a first-half goal and New Jersey City University senior forward Marcelo Carpio (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) notched the tying goal in the second half as the two teams played to a 1-1 double-overtime tie in a New Jersey Athletic Conference men�s soccer game here Wednesday night at Rutgers-Camden Community Park.
The game was the final regular-season contest for both teams, who each advance to the NJAC playoffs starting Saturday. The Scarlet Raptors, who will be the No. 4 seed, will host No. 5 Ramapo College Saturday at 6 p.m. The Gothic Knights, ranked No. 8 nationally in the NSCAA Division III poll, won the NJAC�s regular-season crown and will be the No. 1 seed in the six-team field. They will draw a first-round bye and host a semifinal game Oct. 31.
The tie leaves the Scarlet Raptors with an 11-6-3 record overall and a 4-2-3 mark in the NJAC. They have tied the last two games, 1-1, against national powerhouse NJCU and Ramapo, stretching their unbeaten streak to five games (3-0-2).
NJCU (15-3-1 overall and 7-1-1 in the NJAC), whose #8 ranking is its highest ranking ever, saw its seven-game winning streak snapped with the tie. That streak tied the school record accomplished in 2001, 2004 and 2005.
The tie leaves Rutgers-Camden with a 16-8-6 lead in the all-time series, but the teams are 2-2-2 in the last six games.
The Gothic Knights had tied their program record from 2003 with five consecutive shutouts, but O�Malley snapped that string early in the game. A pair of passes by senior back Milton Suah (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central) and senior midfielder Rob Gambino (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) sprung O�Malley down the right wing. He broke in on goal and fired a hard shot inside the near post, which glanced off the left hand of Gothic Knight freshman goalie Andre Viola (Clifton, NJ/St. Joseph�s-Montvale) and into the net. The goal, at 7:03, broke Viola�s school-record shutout streak at 458:57. It was the first goal he allowed since a 6-1 win over Maritime College Oct. 3, and was the second tally of the season for O�Malley.
O�Malley�s goal came on the only shot of the first half by the Scarlet Raptors, who were out-shot, 7-1, in the half and 18-9 for the game. Rutgers-Camden held a 9-4 edge in corner kicks.
The Scarlet Raptors nearly made it a 2-0 game nine minutes into the second half, but a shot by junior forward Andrew Dorsey (Mt. Laurel, NJ/The King�s Christian School) slammed off the post.
NJCU tied the game at 69:16 on a scramble at the left post, which produced the 11th goal of the season by senior forward Marcelo Carpio (Clifton, NJ/Clifton). He was assisted by junior forward Cristhian Acuna (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) and junior midfielder Edison Bilbao (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict�s Prep).
With 13:00 remaining in the second half, the Gothic Knights� Gonzalo Dapia (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) hit a shot off the post following a corner kick. The Scarlet Raptors, meanwhile, had a chance to win the game with four minutes remaining in the second overtime. Senior Rodney Guishard (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest), playing in his 81st game to set a program career record, was robbed of a game-winning goal on a fine save by Viola. Guishard�s 81st game broke the mark of 80 shared by Brandon Bond and Kevin Ridgway from the 2002-05 teams.
Viola finished with nine saves for the Gothic Knights, while senior keeper Brent Grunow (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional) notched nine saves in a fine performance for the Scarlet Raptors.
Submitted 2007-10-24 19:31:54 by Rutgers University-Camden Sports Information Department
