Box Score
CAMDEN, N.J. (Sept. 19, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team scored a pair of first-half goals and went on to defeat Misericordia University, 3-1, in a non-conference game here Tuesday.
 
Freshman goalie Kieran Burns (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) earned the second victory of his young career, making five saves to raise his record to 2-0. He made a huge diving save in the 69th minute, which prevented the Cougars from tying the game at 2-2, and he tipped a header over the crossbar in the final 10 seconds to close out the win.
 
The victory lifts Rutgers-Camden to 3-4-1, while Misericordia falls to 0-7.
 
Rutgers-Camden jumped on the board early in the game following a restart by junior midfielder Walter Barreto (East Windsor, NJ/Hightstown), which banged off the goal frame. The rebound fell to senior midfielder Clayton Taylor (Mendham, NJ/West Morris-Mendham) in the box and he finished off his team-leading fourth goal of the season.  
 
Late in the first half, junior back Cam Allen (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington) fed junior midfielder Vincenzo Masitti (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) in the attacking third. Masitti weaved toward the box and drilled a shot which deflected off a defender and into the net. For Masitti, who played his freshman year at Rutgers-Camden before playing with Rowan College at Burlington County in 2016, it was his first goal for the Scarlet Raptors since his rookie season in 2015.
 
Rutgers-Camden controlled the opening half with an 11-6 advantage in shots, a 5-1 margin in corner kicks and the territorial edge, suddenly found itself in a tight battle when Misericordia scored early in the second half. In the 61st minute, freshman midfielder John Caracappa (Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney) took a corner kick from the right side and sent the ball toward the far left post, where it was finished on a header from freshman forward Bryson Smith (Mt. Vernon, WA/Mt. Vernon Christian). Smith's goal was only the second scored by Misericordia in its first seven games.
 
The Cougars nearly had another goal eight minutes later, but Burns robbed Caracappa. The Scarlet Raptors added an insurance goal at 73:34 on a long strike from junior forward Brad Maine (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic). It was the second goal of the season for Maine.
 
Rutgers-Camden finished with a 16-11 advantage in shots and a 7-5 edge in corner kicks. Both Burns and Misericordia sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Hoffman (St. Mary's, PA/Elk County Catholic) finished with five saves.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday when it hosts Montclair State University at 1 p.m. in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game, part of the school's Homecoming weekend festivities. During the contest, both teams will be Lacing Up 4 Pediatric Cancer to support the Go4theGoal Foundation, helping kids battling cancer.  All donations, plus $4 from every pair of $5 gold laces that the teams will be wearing will go toward supporting kids with cancer and their families. For more information and to donate, visit www.go4thegoal.org