New Jersey City University Athletics

 

CAMDEN, NJ…Rutgers University-Camden scored its only goal in the 16^th minute and playing with at least a man advantage for a majority of the contest, edged New Jersey City University, 1-0, in the final regular season game for both schools, Thursday afternoon at the Rutgers-Camden Community Park.

The New Jersey Athletic Conference game was originally scheduled to be played in Jersey City on Wednesday, October 24, but was postponed one day. When the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field remained unplayable on Thursday morning, the contest was moved to Camden because the game had playoff implications for the Scarlet Raptors.

 

With the win by Camden (10-6-4, 3-4-2 NJAC), the Raptors claimed the sixth and final seed in the NJAC Tournament, while improving to 8-0 all-time in the series with NJCU. The Knights’ winningest season since 1994 ends at 7-11-0 overall and 0-9-0 NJAC, with a three-game losing streak.

 

Due to injuries and multiple postponements, NJCU only had 10 healthy players available for the game, and Camden had an 11-on-10 advantage throughout most of the contest.

 

Rutgers-Camden scored the only goal of the game when freshman defender Christina Vitagliano (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) tucked a shot inside the left post at 15:02 for her first collegiate goal. She was assisted by senior defender Brittney Mancine (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape), who notched her fifth assist of the season.

 

The rest of the contest was anchored by the Raptors’ defense, which posted its 10th shutout of the season to tie the program record set in 2003 and tied again in 2005. That effort included the play of freshman back Kate Weidner (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional), who held NJCU freshman striker JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) in check.

 

For only the sixth time in 18 games all season, Albuja did not score, as she finished her rookie campaign with a single-season program record 24 goals—just one shy of matching the mark for the most among men’s or women’s players in NJCU history, set by All-American Chris Rosenthal in 2004.

Camden outshot NJCU overall, 17-6, including 12-4 in the second half. Albuja had five of NJCU’s chances, including three on goal. She finished the year with a single-season record 109 shots.

 

NJCU freshman keeper KELLY REILLY (Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Memorial) made seven saves in defeat. It was the third time this year she kept NJCU within one goal of an opponent in a conference road loss, giving the club an opportunity to tie the game.

 

For Camden, senior goalie Kristen Cargen (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made four saves for the Raptors to earn her sixth shutout and increase her scoreless streak to 311:20. Cargen also set a record by extending her streak of scoreless minutes from the field of play—sandwiched around a penalty kick—to 549:53, breaking the mark of 513:40 by Tracy Winter in 2003.

 

The game was halted at 84:03 of the second half after an altercation broke out on the field. The Gothic Knights were issued a red card, and when play resumed Camden had an 11-vs.-9 advantage the final 5:57 of action.