Scarlet Raiders To Play Camden's Scarlet Raptors for NJAC Men’s Soccer Title for First Time in Team History
Take the Special Bus at 10:30 a.m. Saturday to Cheer on the Team
Teams from Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden have never met in the finals of a New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship playoff – until this Saturday!
Third-seeded Newark visits nationally fourth ranked and unbeaten Camden in the RUC Community Park at 1 p.m. for the men's soccer title. It has taken 54 years for the Scarlet Raiders of Newark and the Scarlet Raptors of Camden to square off against each other in the championship finals in the prestigious league which includes Kean University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, Ramapo College, Richard Stockton College, Rowan University, The College of New Jersey and William Paterson University. NJAC has amassed 44 NCAA Division III team championships since the division was formed in 1973.
It marks the first trip to the men's soccer title game in program history for Rutgers-Newark (17-4-1) while Rutgers-Camden (18-0-2) is the two-time defending champion. Those titles in 2011 and 2012 are the first in Scarlet Raptor program history.
Rutgers-Newark has never gone to the NCAA playoffs in men's soccer.
“A lot is riding on the game Saturday,” says Rutgers University-Newark Athletic Director Mark Griffin. “The winner get an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, in addition to being crowned NJAC Champions. If you have not been able to get to a game this year, go to this one. This is a special team which just set a school record of 17 wins in a season, and we have the leading scorer in the nation in Division III.”
A special bus to the game leaves from The Golden Dome Athletic center at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and returns immediately following the match. Seats are first come, first served adn you must register in advance to reserve a seat. To sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/9215813747 . Tickets at the gate in Camden are $2 for R-N students with valid University I.D. and $5 general admission. Learn more at: http://rutgersnewarkathletics.com/news/2013/11/7/MSOC_1107130725.aspx
Both the Raiders and the Raptors posted a 4-1 win in the semifinals on Wednesday to advance to the title game. Camden breezed past The College of New Jersey while Newark erupted for three goals in less than nine minutes late in the second half to upend second-seeded Montclair State in the MSU Soccer Park. Newark's win ended a 30-0-1 domination by the Red Hawks over the Scarlet Raiders which dated back to 1983.
While Rutgers-Newark will be going after its first NJAC men's soccer title on Saturday, Rutgers-Camden will be going for its third straight league title. The winner gets the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
