WAYNE, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2019) – The battles between Rutgers University-Camden and William Paterson University have been epic the past few years, reflecting the tremendous depth of talent that permeates the men's soccer field in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
 
Saturday's game between the two rivals was no different, as the two teams battled to a 2-2 tie in double-overtime in NJAC action.
 
The tie leaves Rutgers-Camden with a 12-5-2 record overall and a 4-2-2 mark in the NJAC. Paterson stands at 6-7-4 overall and 2-3-3 in the conference.
 
It was the second tie in the last five games between the teams, with the other one coming in 2017. Last year the teams played three times, with Rutgers-Camden winning the regular-season game, 3-1, before Paterson knocked the Raptors out of both the NJAC playoffs (2-1) and the ECAC playoffs (2-0).
 
Rutgers-Camden holds a narrow lead in the all-time series, 17-15-9.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored only 3:36 into the game when a flurry of action in the box was finished by sophomore forward Joni Gjyleri, who tallied his sixth goal of the season.
 
Paterson tied the game at 31:47 on an unassisted tally by senior Kyle Adams, who took a free kick from outside the left corner of the box and put a shot in the upper right corner.
 
Rutgers-Camden came right back with its own goal at 32:28. Senior midfielder Walter Barreto threaded a pass through a seam into the box. Paterson freshman keeper Thomas Hatch tried to collect the ball, but Raptor senior forward Cristian Ognibene was on the spot to notch his fourth goal of the season, into an open net.
 
Paterson scored the only goal after halftime, tying the game at 54:16 when senior Dromo Quaye finished off a loose ball in the box.
 
Paterson finished with a 16-12 advantage in shots, including an 11-6 lead in shots on goal. The Pioneers also had seven corner kicks, while the Scarlet Raptors had four.
 
Junior goalie Kieran Burns finished with nine saves for the Raptors, while Hatch had four for the Pioneers.
 
Rutgers-Camden closes its regular-season schedule on Wednesday when it hosts Stockton University in a 7 p.m. NJAC game.