BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University and Rutgers University-Camden were deadlocked for more than 58 minutes, before the Scarlet Raptors struck late in the 79th minute and defeated NJCU, 2-1, in the final New Jersey Athletic Conference game of the season on Friday afternoon at the Robert L. McNulty Memorial Soccer Field. Camden outshot NJCU 8-6 in each period and 16-12 overall.
With the loss, NJCU's 52nd season of soccer concludes. The Gothic Knights finished the year at 7-11 and 1-8 in the league. Meanwhile, Camden improves to 10-8-1 and 4-5-0 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raptors, who did not qualify for the NJAC Tournament, will wait to see if they receive a bid to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament beginning on November 10. Camden leads the all-time series, 19-8-7 and owns a 5-0-3 record in the last eight meetings.
Senior defender Colin Plumley (Glassboro, NJ/Glassboro) and freshman midfielder Rocco Gambino (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) each scored their first career goals for the visitors and senior midfielder Shane McGrory (Laurel Springs, NJ/Sterling) was credited with a pair of assists, bringing his season total to 12—enough to take over the 2010 NJAC lead in helpers and one shy of Camden's single-season record.
NJCU's lone goal game on an own goal in the 21st minute—the first own goal to benefit the Knights since September 10, 2008.
Camden junior keeper Tim VanLiew (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) made three saves while NJCU rookie keeper ZAKARY AZMI (New Milford, NJ/Emerson) also set aside three shots. Camden had a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.
In a game that was a makeup of an October 27 postponement, Camden grabbed a 1-0 lead at 6:34 of the first half as Plumley received a ball dished from midfield by McGrory onto the top center of the box. He took one dribble to create space against an NJCU defender and struck a ball towards the right post. Azmi dove too late to stop the shot, which caromed into the goal off the inside of the iron.
NJCU sophomore midfielder GABRIEL AVANS (Roselle Park, NJ/Union Catholic) had a game-high five shots (three on goal) and uncorked a good shot at 8:42 in an attempt to tie it but VanLiew made a save.
Rookie midfielder ERICK ZUNIGA (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) made a nice defensive play in the third minute of the game to stop a breakaway chance by McGrory, and then started a play at 20:04 that led to the game-tying goal when the Knights caught a break. Zuniga lobbed a long pass from the right half of the field near the top of the box. Sophomore defender Kevin Burke (Sewell, NJ/Clearview Regional) back-pedaled to try to clear it. His header caromed backwards and VanLiew, who was playing well off the line, could not retreat in time, as the ball bounced in on two hops for an own goal.
NJCU's best chance to take the lead came at 26:55 after sophomore forward NANA KOFI KUSI (Jersey City, NJ/Kumasi Academy (Ghana)) beat VanLiew to a ball on the right side of the box, but poked the fast-break chance wide left with the net open. Junior forward WALTER AVANS (Roselle Park, NJ/Union Catholic) also had a quality chance at 39:37, before his shot was blocked from close range; several teammates took stabs at the rebound but could not get a shot off, as the two sides went to the half, knotted at 1-1.
The teams remained tied for the first 33 minutes of the second half without a true scoring opportunity until Camden struck at the 78:34 mark. McGrory sent a long pass upfield and onto the left wing. Azmi came out and was unable to cut the ball off and Gambino one-timed a shot into the far right side of the target for a 2-1 advantage.
NJCU's final solid scoring chance came at 86:37 when GABRIEL AVANS uncorked a shot at the far left post, before it was covered by VanLiew.
NJCU did not have a senior on its final 2010 roster and will return its young team and a new recruiting class when the Gothic Knights return to the pitch in September 2011.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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RU-Camden
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Score
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1
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2
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Halftime
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1
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1
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Shots
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12
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16
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Shots On Goal
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4
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5
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Saves
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3
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3
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Corner Kicks
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1
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7
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Fouls
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20
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8
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Offsides
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2
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1
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Caution Cards
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2
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0
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