Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Sept. 1, 2015) – Records and milestones were the order of the night when the Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team opened its 2015 season here Tuesday.
 
The Scarlet Raptors exploded for nine goals, their most since 2007, and went on to post their biggest shutout victory since 2005 with a 9-0 win over Rosemont College.
 
The Scarlet Raptors raced to an 8-0 halftime lead, aided by a program record-tying four assists from senior captain Connor Hurff (Sewell, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and the third career hat trick by senior Mike Ryan (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee).
 
Rutgers-Camden, which received votes toward the NSCAA Pre-season Division III Men's Soccer Top 25 poll, had its biggest scoring output since a 9-2 win over Lebanon Valley College on Oct. 17, 2007. It was the Raptors' biggest shutout victory since another 9-0 win on Sept. 3, 2005, coming against York (NY) College.
 
The game also marked the 10th season opener under Head Coach Tim Oswald, whose decade at the helm tied Mark Sandberg (1990-99) for the longest tenure in program history. Oswald already is the winningest coach ever at Rutgers-Camden, hiking his record to 139-47-23 with the victory.
 
Connor Hurff had a monster game, all in the first half, with four assists and two goals for eight points. His four assists tied the single-game program mark shared by Pat Baldiserra (Oct. 9, 2006 against John Jay College) and Mike Zeno (Oct. 7, 1995 against Holy Family College).

 Image gallery from second half

Ryan, meanwhile, collected his third career hat trick, adding to the pair he scored against Susquehanna University (Sept. 7, 2014) and New Jersey City University (Oct. 30, 2013).  His three goals and one assist increased his program career records to 60 goals and 134 points.
 
In addition to the damage inflicted by the two seniors, the Scarlet Raptors received the first career goals from three players. Freshman Vincenzo Masitti (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) notched a pair of goals, including a strike only 34 seconds into the game, assisted by Hurff. The goal was only 14 seconds shy of the program mark for the fastest goal into the game, scored in 20 seconds by Zeno against Rowan on Oct. 12, 1994. Masitti leaped in the air to one-time a cross from the right side by Hurff, popping it over the first of three Rosemont goalies, Sean Ianelli (Bethlehem, PA/Catholic).
 
Hurff followed with a goal at 5:06, assisted by Ryan, before Ryan notched his first tally of the year at 11:44, assisted by Feli Csombok (South River, NJ/South River). Ryan and Masitti scored at 12:32 and 16:52, respectively, both assisted by Hurff.
 
Hurff made it a 6-0 game at 24:26, converting a feed from senior Grant Taylor (Mendham, NJ/West Morris-Mendham), and Ryan completed his hat trick only 79 seconds later, aided by Hurff's record-tying assist.
 
Senior Riquan King (Winslow, NJ/Winslow Township) scored his first career Rutgers-Camden goal at 37:13 after collecting a loose ball in the box.
 
The lone second-half goal belonged to sophomore Jeff Auleta (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton), who notched his first career goal on a long rocket at the 65-minute mark. He was assisted by junior Dan Gilbert (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson).
 
While the Raptors were wearing out the scoreboard, their starting backs of seniors Ramadan Bayyan (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West), Ray El-Khoury (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) and Derek Lynch (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville), and sophomore Aaron Muse (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) were helping to throttle the Rosemont attack. The Ravens collected only six shots in the game, to the Raptors' 30, and nothing in the first half until the game was well out of reach.
 
A trio of Scarlet Raptor goalies shared the shutout, with freshman James Brett (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) earning the win in his first career start. He didn't need to make a save. Sophomore Drew Slater (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) and junior Emilio Rodriguez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) followed with two saves apiece. Rodriguez preserved the shutout in the 82nd minute with a diving save of a penalty shot, following a handball in the box.
 
Rosemont plays a 7 p.m. game Friday at Goucher College in Baltimore.
 
The Scarlet Raptors travel to the Elmer Lord Soccer Classic at Salisbury University over the weekend. They will play St. Mary's College of Maryland Saturday at 4 p.m. before facing the host Sea Gulls Sunday at 3 p.m. Like Rutgers-Camden, Salisbury also received votes in the NSCAA pre-season poll.