Box Score

MONTCLAIR, NJ – Rutgers-Newark erupted for three goals in less than nine minutes late in the second half to shock second-seeded Montclair State, 4-1, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference semifinals.

The win in the MSU Soccer Park boosted the Scarlet Raiders (17-4-1) into the championship match at top-seeded Rutgers-Camden (18-0-2) at 1 p.m. on Saturday and broke a 30-year winless drought for Rutgers-Newark against the Red Hawks (15-3-2).  It will be the first time that the two Rutgers schools have meet in the championship final in any sport.

NJAC Men's Soccer Championship Bracket (PDF)

Junior defender Pat Holliday fueled the three-goal outburst with an assist on the game winner and the insurance goal as Rutgers-Newark broke a 30-0-1 streak by Montclair State which dated back to 1983.

"It's really great to get the win and reach the championship match," said Rutgers-Newark Head Coach Kevin East, "but I'm more proud of how were played.  We didn't get the bounces in some of our losses this season, but tonight we did not make mistakes.  We won the game with solid play."

Freshman forward Hubert Dul netted the game-winning goal at 72:06 when he rocketed a shot from point-blank range off junior goalkeeper Kevin Lynch inside the left post after Holliday finished a long run to the left end line before serving a crisp cross into the box.

Holliday gave the Raiders some breathing room with 11:11 remaining when he sent a shot from deep on the left side into to the upper edge of the far post after he came away from a fallen defender on a battle for the ball.

Freshman midfielder Anthony DeRisi iced the match when picked up a clearing header after a corner kick and the pounded a shot from outside the left side of the 18 into the upper right side of the goal with 9:04 left to take all of the wind out of the Red Hawks.

The Red Hawks struck just 6:38 into the match when junior forward Brian Cullen went airborne to volleyball a bounced throw in pass from the right side by sophomore forward Trey Leggett into the left side of the goal from 10 yards out on the right side.

The Raiders leveled the score in the 27th minute when senior midfielder Brian Barrera sent a looping cross from near the right end line into the left side of the box.  Junior defender Paul Tarnawski headed a shot toward the left side of the net, but Lynch made a diving stop.  Tarnawski chipped the equalizer over the fallen keeper into the left side.

Four saves by Lynch kept things even for the first 45 minutes despite Rutgers-Newark's 7-3 edge in shots.  Lynch finished with eight saves while Raider sophomore Matt Broomall didn't need to make a single stop to post the victory.

Rutgers-Newark dominated shots, 15-7, and forged a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.

In the battle of the most potent offenses in the NJAC, it was the Raider defense whichstepped forward.  Holliday, Tarnawski and seniors Jason Chung and Robi Rosario helped shut off Red Hawk shots while Barrera and juniors Bonny Londono and Diego Moraes battled on even terms in the midfield.  After having yielded a season-high five goals to the Red Hawks on October 2 on the same field, Rutgers-Newark frustrated the home team's high-scoring attack in the rematch.

Rutgers-Newark will go after its first NJAC men's soccer title on Saturday while Rutgers-Camden, which downed fourth-seeded The College of New Jersey, 4-1, in the other semifinal match, will be going for its third straight league title.  The winner gets the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.