GALLOWAY, N.J. (Oct. 24, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team managed only one shot in the first half of its New Jersey Athletic Conference game here Wednesday night, but junior Cristian Ognibene made sure it counted.
 
Ognibene collected his first goal of the season in the 40th minute, assisted by junior Patrick Grudnik, to lead the Scarlet Raptors over Stockton University, 1-0, in the final regular-season NJAC game for both playoff-bound teams.  
 
Rutgers-Camden improves to 13-4-2 overall and 6-2-1 in the NJAC, grabbing the third seed for the first round of the conference playoffs, which start Saturday. The Scarlet Raptors will host sixth seed William Paterson University at 12 p.m. in the opener of a big NJAC soccer playoff day. The Rutgers-Camden women's team will host Montclair State University at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the first home NJAC soccer playoff doubleheader in school history.
 
Stockton, meanwhile, will be the NJAC's fifth seed and will play at No. 4 Rowan University Saturday. The Ospreys own an overall record of 8-8-3 and are 4-3-2 in the conference.
 
NJAC playoff brackets
 
Tickets for the NJAC playoffs cost $5 for adults and $2 for children, students and senior citizens. Rutgers-Camden students, faculty and staff will be admitted free with their Rutgers-Camden ID, courtesy of Student Affairs.
 
Despite being out-shot, 9-1, in the opening half, Rutgers-Camden scored the game's lone goal on a counterattack. Grudnik rolled a long ball from the midfield into the box, where Ognibene reached the ball about 10 yards out from the net. He poked a shot into the net at 39:46, past charging Stockton keeper Michael Lescano. It was Ognibene's third goal in his two years at Rutgers-Camden after playing his freshman season at LaSalle University. It also was the first game-winning tally for Ognibene, pictured above, and the third assist of the season for Grudnik.
 
Both teams collected three shots in the second half as Stockton finished with a 12-4 advantage in shots. The Ospreys also held an 8-3 lead in corner kicks, built on a 6-0 advantage in the first half.
 
Lescano allowed the one goal on the Raptors' lone shot on goal. Raptor senior keeper James Brett finished with three saves as he registered the 17th shutout of his career, tying Pete DeFeo (1984-87) for fourth on the program's career list. With his 41st career win, Brett broke a tie with Mike Randall (2010-13) to move into second place on Rutgers-Camden's career list for goalie victories.