News Release
Gambino's OT goal lifts Raptors to ECAC Metro final
CAMDEN � The Rutgers University-Camden men�s soccer team advanced to the ECAC Division III Metro Championship game for the second consecutive season, and the Scarlet Raptors will get the chance to defend their title at home.
Senior midfielder Rob Gambino (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) lofted a long chip into the far left corner of the goal with 7:21 remaining in the second overtime as second-seeded Rutgers-Camden outlasted #3 Richard Stockton College, 3-2, in an ECAC Metro semifinal game here Saturday afternoon.
The victory lifts the Raptors (12-7-3) into the title game for the second straight year. They will host #4 Drew University (14-7-0) Sunday at 1 p.m. as they look to defend their 2006 ECAC Metro Championship title. Rutgers-Camden edged New Jersey City University, 1-0, for the crown last season.
Early in the second 10-minute overtime session, Gambino lofted a long drive from 40 yards out on the right side. The ball floated over Stockton junior keeper Brad Ferguson (Galloway, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) into the far left corner for the winning goal at 102:39.
The victory marked the second consecutive season the Raptors edged Stockton by one goal in the ECAC Metro semifinals, and avenged a 1-0 loss to Stockton earlier this season in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game (Oct. 10 in Camden).
Rutgers-Camden scored the lone goal of the first half when freshman midfielder Ryan Dougherty (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick) headed home a restart from the right side of the box by Gambino. Dougherty scored his second goal of the season at 13:30.
The Ospreys, who close the season at 11-8-2, scored on their own header, by junior forward Seth McQuay (Montgomery, PA/Montgomery Area), to tie the game only 2:53 into the second half. McQuay�s third goal of the season was assisted by freshman forward Rafael Duarte (Ocean City, NJ/Ocean City) and the throw-in from junior midfielder Mike Holmes (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North).
Stockton scored again at 57:44 when Duarte�s turnaround shot in the box found the left side of the net for his 17th goal of the year. McQuay had the assist.
Rutgers-Camden tied the game four minutes later at senior Chris Amato (Stratford, NJ/Sterling), who played in both the midfield and the back during the day, slid onto a long cross from senior forward Rodney Guishard (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) at the left post. Amato�s goal, at 61:42, was his second of the season and gave Guishard his team-leading 11th assist, two shy of the single-season program record.
Both teams had opportunities to win the game in the first overtime. A header by Stockton�s Holmes was denied on a great save by Raptor senior goalie Brent Grunow (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional) two minutes into the overtime session. With 3:10 remaining in the first overtime, an apparent game-winning goal by the Raptors was disallowed by an offsides call.
On the day, the Raptors out-shot the Ospreys, 23-15, and held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks. Grunow made five saves for Rutgers-Camden, which hiked its record to 4-1-2 in its last seven games. Ferguson made nine saves for Stockton.
Submitted 2007-11-10 14:32:42 by Rutgers University-Camden Sports Information Department
