IMMACULATA, Penn. (Sept. 20, 2018) – Entering Thursday night's non-conference game at Immaculata University, first-half goals had been a rarity for the Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team this year.
 
After notching only four first-half goals in their first eight games, however, the Scarlet Raptors produced two within the opening 14 minutes against the Mighty Macs. The Scarlet Raptors went on to win, 4-0, for the most goals they've scored in a game this season.
 
Sophomore Skyler Diggs scored two of the goals for the Scarlet Raptors, who improved to 5-3-1 with their second win of the week. On Tuesday at Misericordia University, Rutgers-Camden posted a 2-1 victory.
 
Immaculata falls to 3-4-1.
 
Rutgers-Camden notched two first-half goals only once this season prior to Thursday. That performance came in the season opener, when the Raptors edged New York University, 3-2. Their first goal in that game came at 14:41, their earliest in any game this year until Thursday. By that time against Immaculata, the Raptors already held a 2-0 lead.
 
The Scarlet Raptors took the lead for good at 6:55 when Diggs finished a feed by junior midfielder Chris Taraska. Taraska sent a pass from just inside the midfield to Diggs, who finished with a low shot to the left side past Immaculata keeper Mikey Kalpokas. It was the fourth goal of the season for Diggs, pictured above.
 
Less than seven minutes later, junior midfielder Patrick Grudnik made it a 2-0 game with his third goal of the year. Grudnik took a shot at the top of the box and deflected a shot off a Mighty Mac defender into the net.
 
Diggs notched his second goal of the game, and team-leading fifth tally, at 51:53. Freshman forward Aba David completed the scoring at 79:59 with his second goal.
 
Rutgers-Camden held a 19-6 advantage in shots and a 9-2 margin in corner kicks. Raptor senior goalie James Brett played the first 75:53 minutes, making three saves, to earn the 35th victory of his career. He tied David Cunningham (2003-06) for third on the program's career list for goalie wins. He combined with junior keeper Chris Lenahan (14:07, no saves) for the shutout.
 
Kalpokas and Garrett Pepper combined for two saves for Immaculata, with Kalpokas 79:59.
 
The Scarlet Raptors play a home game Saturday at 1 p.m. against New Jersey Athletic Conference rival Kean University.