Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 15, 2014) – The top-seeded Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team notched a first-half goal from junior forward Mike Ryan (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and third-seeded Richard Stockton College tallied a pair of late second-half goals as the two New Jersey Athletic Conference rivals advanced to the title game of the ECAC Division III Men's Metro/Upstate Soccer Championships with semifinal wins here Saturday.
 
Rutgers-Camden (15-8-1) edged No. 4 seed New York University (11-7-1), 1-0, in the first semifinal game.
 
Richard Stockton (13-5-5), the defending ECAC Metro champion, overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat No. 2 seed Drew University (10-6-6), 2-1, on goals by junior midfielder Jared Ruff (Delran, NJ/Delran) and junior forward Tim Sost (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Egg Harbor Township).
 
The two teams, who played to a 1-1 double-overtime tie at Richard Stockton College on Oct. 29, will play for the ECAC title Sunday at 12 p.m. at Rutgers-Camden.
 
Rutgers-Camden 1, New York University 0
 
The Scarlet Raptors, who won ECAC titles in 2006, 2007 and 2010, moved to within one win of another crown as they out-shot the Violets, 16-7, including 11-3 in the opening half. Rutgers-Camden also held a 6-3 advantage in corner kicks, with all six Raptor corner kicks coming in the second half.
 
Ryan, who had three shots in goal in the game's first six minutes, tallied the only goal at 16:31 off a throw-in by senior midfielder Joe Auleta (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) that was headed by junior midfielder Grant Taylor (Mendham, NJ/West Morris-Mendham) out front. Ryan buried his 16th goal of the season and the program-leading 55th of his career. It was his 18th career game-winning goal, one shy of the program mark.
 
The assists were the team-leading ninth of the year for Auleta and the fifth for Grant Taylor. Auleta now owns 26 for his Raptor career, tying Shane McGrory (2007-10) for second on the program list. He is two shy of Mike Zeno's (1992-95) all-time record.
 
The Violets had a pair of late first-half headers by freshman forward Malcolm Montilus (Mendham, NJ/West Morris-Mendah), but one was saved by Raptor freshman keeper Sean Matias (Vineland, NJ/Millville) and one went over the crossbar.
 
Matias finished with three saves, while NYU sophomore goalie Lucas Doucette (San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines) had four.
 
Richard Stockton 2, Drew 1
 
The Ospreys rallied back from a 1-0 halftime deficit which came when Drew senior back Michael Pezzuti (Fairfield, NJ/West Essex Regional) scored on a restart outside the box at 36:20.
 
In the second half, Ruff tied the game at 73:08, heading in a cross from freshman forward Chimaobi Ikwuagwu (Camden, DE/Caesar Rodney) at the far right post. It was his third goal of the season, and he later added the game-winning assist, sending the ball into the box from the right side. Sost slid it into the net at the right post, barely beating senior goalie Michael Reyes (Delran, NJ/Delran) with 2:33 remaining in the game. It was Sost's sixth goal of the year.
 
Stockton held a 20-17 edge in shots and a 3-1 margin corner kicks.
 
Reyes finished with six saves for Drew and was aided by a fine backsave from junior Daniel Giraldo (Madison, NJ/Madison), who headed a shot by Ikwuagwu clear of the goal near the end of the first half. Ikwuagwu also hit the crossbar and was denied on a one-on-one save by Reyes in the second half.
 
Drew also hit the goal frame in the opening half as senior midfielder John Nogiewich (Pine Beach, NJ/Toms River South) hit the upper right post.
 
Junior keeper Bobby Varga (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) had eight saves for the Ospreys, five of them in the second half.