CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 9, 2015) – The last time the Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team reached the NCAA Tournament, the Scarlet Raptors made a run all the way to the 2013 championship game.
 
Rutgers-Camden is back in the big dance again this season after capturing its fourth New Jersey Athletic Conference championship in five years over the weekend. The Scarlet Raptors outlasted Montclair State University on penalty kicks after the teams played to a 0-0 deadlock through two overtime periods.
 
The Scarlet Raptors will play a first-round game Saturday against Eastern University (16-2-2) at 1:30 p.m. at SUNY-Oneonta. Oneonta will face the City College of New York in another first-round game Saturday and the two surviving teams will meet in a second-round game Sunday in Oneonta, New York.

NCAA interactive bracket

Rutgers-Camden brings a 13-7-2 record and a 4-0-1 undefeated string into its NCAA tournament opener. The Scarlet Raptors will be playing in their fourth NCAA tourney in the past five years, with a combined record of 8-2-1 in their last three NCAA tournaments in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Coupled with their only other NCAA post-season appearance in 2008, the Scarlet Raptors are 8-3-1 in the four NCAA tournament appearances in program history.
 
Eastern University is currently ranked No. 25 nationally in the D3soccer.com Top 25 poll. The Eagles were ranked as high as No. 8 in the NSCAA Division III poll and No. 13 in the D3soccer.com poll on Oct. 20.
 
Rutgers-Camden has plenty of experience against the top teams in the nation. Out of their 22 games so far this season, the Scarlet Raptors have played 13 against teams that have appeared in, or received votes toward, one of those two major Top 25 polls. The Scarlet Raptors are 6-5-2 over those 13 games, including ties against their two highest-ranked opponents at the time, Christopher Newport University (ranked No. 1 by D3soccer.com when the Raptors tied them Sept. 13) and Montclair State University (No. 3 in the NSCAA poll when the teams tied Saturday).
 
Rutgers-Camden has played six games against teams in the 2015 NCAA tournament field, going 2-3-1.
 
Eastern will make a 14th opponent that has been in the national rankings this season. The Eagles went 13-0-2 through their first 15 games before losing two of their next three contests. They recovered to post consecutive shutouts over FDU-Florham (1-0) and King's College (2-0) to capture the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom title and earn an automatic NCAA berth.
 
Eastern placed six players on the All-MAC Freedom Conference Team, including Offensive Player of the Year JD Saracco, a junior midfielder who joined his midfield teammates Hunter Rosenberg and Jadon Ramsing on the MAC Freedom First Team. Midfielder Sean Dougherty and back Chad Mentzer were named to the all-conference Second Team, while back John Remsberg captured Honorable Mention.
 
Saracco and Dougherty are tied for the team lead in scoring with seven goals, one assist and 15 points apiece. Five of Saracco's seven goals are game winners.
 
Rutgers-Camden also fields six all-conference players, including the New Jersey Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year in senior forward Mike Ryan (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). The team's leading scorer with 18 goals and three assists for 39 points, he became the all-time NJAC goal-scoring leader this season with 75 career goals.
 
Ryan joined senior midfielder Connor Hurff (Sewell, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) on the All-NJAC First Team. Sophomore back Aaron Muse (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) earned NJAC Second Team honors, while the trio of senior midfielder Grant Taylor (Mendham, NJ/West Morris-Mendham), senior back Ramadan Bayyan (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) and freshman goalkeeper James Brett (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) all earned NJAC Honorable Mention.