New Jersey City University Athletics

 

CAMDEN, NJ…Senior forward MARCELO CARPIO (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) forced overtime with his 11^th goal of the season, a game-tying second half tally, and freshman goalkeeper ANDRE VIOLA (Clifton, NJ/St. Joseph’s Regional (Montvale)) shutout the Scarlet Raptors in the final 102:57 of play, as #8 ranked New Jersey City University and Rutgers University-Camden played to a 1-1 tie in double overtime, in the final New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season game of the season on Wednesday at Rutgers-Camden Community Park.

 

With the tie, NJCU (15-3-1, 7-1-1), ranked No. 8 nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), had their winning streak snapped at seven games and shutout streak halted at five straight. However, NJCU remains unbeaten in its last eight contests and is 12-1-1 in its last 14 outings. Camden concludes the regular season at 11-6-3 overall and 4-2-3 NJAC. The Raptors lead the all-time series, 16-8-6, and are 2-0-2 versus NJCU in the last two years.

 

Each team earned one point in the NJAC standings. The Knights finish the year in first place with 22 points, one ahead of Montclair State University. The tie gave Camden 15 points and the Raptors clinched the No. 4 seed in the NJAC Tournament, and a quarterfinal home game against Ramapo College.

 

Viola entered the game with the longest individual shutout streak in school history at 451:54, but that record was snapped 7:03 into the game when junior defender A.J. O’Malley (Westmont, NJ/Haddon Township) scored his second goal of the season on the Raptors’ only shot of the first half. A pair of passes by senior defender 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 right post, glancing off the left hand of Viola. Suah and Gambino each tallied assists on the goal.

 

That goal snapped Viola’s streak at 458:57 and was the first he had allowed since the waning moments of NJCU’s 6-1 win over Maritime College on October 3. In all, he has allowed just one goal over the last 561:54 of action.

 

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.

 

The Knights finally tied the game at 69:16 as junior forward CRISTHIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) and junior midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) found Carpio on the left post for the equalizer. Carpio tied Acuna for the team lead in goals with 11 and set a personal career high while moving into sixth place in school history with 24 goals. The assist for Acuna and Bilbao were each player’s eighth of the season, and Acuna reached the 30-point plateau.

               

With 13:00 remaining in the second half, NJCU junior midfielder GONZALO DAPIA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) hit a shot off the post following a corner kick. NJCU outshot Camden, 18-9, including 10-5 on goal.

 

The Scarlet Raptors 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.

               

Viola finished with four saves for the Gothic Knights, while senior keeper Brent Grunow (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional) notched nine stops for the Scarlet Raptors.

 

NJCU, the #1 ranked team in the NCAA Division III Metro Region and NSCAA Metro Region, will next be in action on Wednesday, October 31 against Ramapo College in the NJAC Semifinals. The top seeded Gothic Knights will host the game at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field.