Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 16, 2014) – With the possibility of overtime looming in the 2014 ECAC Division III Metro/Upstate Men's Soccer championship game here Sunday, top-seeded Rutgers University-Camden put the game on the talented left foot of junior forward Mike Ryan (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). And Ryan, like he has shown throughout his career, has a penchant for coming up big in the biggest moments.
 
The program's all-time leading scorer notched the game-winning goal with 10:27 remaining in regulation, lifting the Scarlet Raptors over third-seeded Richard Stockton College, 2-1, in an ECAC final between a pair of fierce New Jersey Athletic Conference rivals. Ryan's second goal of the game, which cemented his performance as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, gave Rutgers-Camden its fourth ECAC crown in the last nine seasons.

ECAC Metro/Upstate final bracket     

Rutgers-Camden is 11-3 in seven ECAC tournaments in its history, but 11-0 with four ECAC championships under Head Coach Tim Oswald. The Raptors won the ECAC Metro title in 2006 and 2007 and captured the ECAC Metro/Upstate championship in 2010 and this season.

The contest was the 10th championship game for Rutgers-Camden during Oswald's nine seasons as a coach (four ECAC, five NJAC and one NCAA national final), with the Scarlet Raptors winning seven times.
 
The Scarlet Raptors close their season at 16-8-1, including 7-1-1 in their last nine games and 9-2-1 in their last 12. Over the past four seasons, the Scarlet Raptors have posted a 75-14-8 record overall, including three NJAC titles, one NJAC runnerup spot, three NCAA tournament appearances – including a trip to the 2013 Division III championship game – and one ECAC Metro/Upstate crown. Over that span, they also have posted a sterling 47-3-2 record at Rutgers-Camden Community Park.
 
Two seniors were a major part of that entire four-year span, as midfielder Joe Auleta (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) and back Eric Cutry (Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee) closed out their careers ranking among the top four on the program's list for games played. Auleta finished as the all-time leader with 97 games, playing in every contest throughout his career, and starting the last 96. He tied for second on the all-time program list with 26 assists and finished tied for 13th in points (48). Cutry, meanwhile, finished fourth on the career list with 87 games played.
 
Richard Stockton College ends its season with a 13-6-5 record, capping the career of Head Coach Jeff Haines, who is retiring after 17 years coaching the Ospreys.
 
The Scarlet Raptors are now 16-23-7 in their all-time series with Richard Stockton, but have gone 5-0-2 over the last four years, including a 1-1 tie at Stockton on Oct. 29. The last Osprey win in the series came in 2010. 
 
Both teams fired their big guns in the game, as Ryan notched a pair of goals and Stockton's leading scorer, sophomore forward Anthony Colofranson (Woodbury Heights, NJ/Gateway) scored the Ospreys' goal.
 
Rutgers-Camden held a 10-4 advantage in shots during the first half, with Ryan making one count at 21:34 after a perfect feed from junior midfielder Grant Taylor (Mendham, NJ/West Morris-Mendham). Taylor threaded a ball into the middle of the box from the left side, and Ryan finished off with his 17th goal of the season. It was Taylor's sixth assist of the season.
 
Stockton, however, tied the game at 33:41 after junior midfielder Mike DeFeo (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) sprung Colofranson on a breakaway down the right side. Colofranson broke into the box and drilled a hard shot near the right post that Raptor freshman goalie Sean Matias (Vineland, NJ/Millville) was barely able to get a hand on before it settled into the net. It was Colofranson's 20th goal of the season.
 
Although the Scarlet Raptors had more opportunities, the teams remained deadlock heading down toward the final 10 minutes of regulation. Rutgers-Camden finally broke through the Stockton defense when junior midfielder Connor Hurff (Sewell, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) sent a short through ball into the box, perfectly timed for Ryan, who scored the game-winning goal inside the left post. It was his 18th goal of the season and sixth game winner. It also extended his program career records to 57 goals and 127 points, while giving him 19 game-winning goals, tying the career record set by Mitch Grotti last season. The assist was the eighth for Hurff this season.
 
Ryan's Most Outstanding Player honor for the tournament came on the strength of four goals, including two game winners, in the Raptors' three ECAC wins during the week. He scored single goals in victories over Sage Colleges (2-1, Wednesday) and New York University (1-0, Saturday) and both goals on Sunday.
 
Rutgers-Camden finished with a 19-13 advantage in shots and a 6-1 margin in corner kicks. Matias made six saves to close his freshman season with an 8-2-1 record and a 1.20 goals-against average. Junior keeper Bobby Varga (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) had five saves for Stockton.