JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's soccer team played to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 26, against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Rutgers-Newark at home at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex on what was also the program's Senior Day. The tie gave NJCU 11 points in the conference standings and, coupled with Montclair State University's 1-0 victory over Kean University later in the evening, the Gothic Knights officially clinched a spot in the 2022 NJAC Men's Soccer Tournament.
As mentioned, prior to the start of the match for NJCU (8-4-2, 3-4-2 NJAC), the program celebrated its three graduating team members during the Senior Day ceremony in backs
Piero Urteaga (Clifton, N.J./Passaic County Tech) and
Chris Castillo (North Bergen, N.J./High Tech), as well as forward
Ryan Evande (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack).
Gallery: (10-26-2022) 2022 NJCU MSoccer Senior Day
One the action began, things rose immediately to a level of high intensity against the Scarlet Raiders (6-5-5, 4-2-3 NJAC) — Rutgers-Newark finished the season with 15 points and in a tie for third, but drop to the #4 seed due to tiebreakers — as the teams combined for 11 total yellows throughout the match. After a couple of offsides, the first yellow was charged to Rutgers in the seventh. Then, in the 17th, senior keeper
Nick Linebaugh (Linden, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) made the first save of the game off a free kick to keep it scoreless.
Finally, freshman back
Jason Salamanca (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) tossed the ball in off a throw in and found sophomore forward
Danny Tobon (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) just outside the box. The transfer from Rutgers-Newark made a nice move around his former teammate and defender and found an open freshman midfielder
Jonathan Caballero (Union City, N.J./Jose Marti STEM Academy). The rookie proceeded to rip a shot with his right foot just outside the top left of the box and painted the top left corner of the net for his first-career goal. NJCU led 1-0 midway through the 21st minute.
That turned out to be the only shot on goal for the Gothic Knights in the first half, while Newark took just one more moments later in the 23rd, but was turned aside by Linebaugh. Aside from a yellow card on NJCU for an illegal substitution in the 42nd, there was little action for the remainder of the half as Jersey City took the 1-0 lead into the break.
However, early in the 47th to start the second, Rutgers-Newark answered back with the first shot of the half to make it 1-1. Following a free kick from way out, the ball bounced around in front before the Scarlet Raiders put it into the back of the net to tie it. A flurry of four yellows, combined with four more saves from Linebaugh made up the next 16 or so minutes, however the game remained scoreless.
The next best chance of the day for NJCU, and just its second shot on goal, came off the foot of junior co-captain
Maximo Vargas (Montevideo, Uruguay/The British Schools). The forward took a pass to the center from fellow co-captain junior midfielder
Jorkaef Fallas (North Bergen, N.J./Hudson Catholic) just above the top of the box in the 69th and sent a hard shot to the top center of the net, but was turned aside by the Scarlet Raiders netminder.
Four more cards — two on each squad — followed in the ensuing four minutes and then the Gothic Knights got one more shot at taking the lead in the 83rd. Castillo launched a throw-in parallel with the top of the box and Fallas eventually managed to send a header on goal, but was turned aside. The match, offically ending in that 1-1 draw, meant that each squad would be interested in the night's remaining matches and their effects on the NJAC postseason.
Up Next:
With both Rutgers-Camden and Rowan winning and finishing the regular-season with 15 points apiece, the teams found themselves in a three-way tie for third. Due to tiebreakers, Rowan earned the #3 seed, followed by Newark at #4 and Camden at #5. For the Gothic Knights, they awaited the result of the Montclair State at Kean match in Union, N.J. A Red Hawks win or a draw would clinch a postseason berth for NJCU and, as MSU won 1-0, the Green and Gold did just that.
For just the second time since 2008 — NJCU was one of six teams to compete in the Spring 2021 season, with all six squads qualifying for the conference tournament — the Gothic Knights will compete in the NJAC Tournament. NJCU will face off with #3-seed Rowan in the first game of the tournament on Saturday, Oct. 29. The quarterfinal match will kick off in Glassboro, N.J., at 5:00 p.m.
NJCU dominated the Profs 6-0 back in Jersey City on Sept. 28, but since then, Rowan has gone 4-1-2 and enters the tournament on a roll — so there are no guarantees on either side heading into Saturday's match.
Special Note: Fans looking to attend Saturday's match at Rowan, tickets will be sold. It will by $5 for adults and $2 for students, children and senior citizens.
