The Ramapo College men’s soccer team wrapped up their season with a hard-fought battle against Rutgers-Newark on Oct. 30, falling 2-1 to the Scarlet Raiders in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) matchup. This match was also Senior Day, honoring six dedicated Roadrunners in their final home match: goalkeeper Nikolai Matthews, defender Alex Zargo, midfielder Jack Hosmer, defender Jake Szatkowski and forward Jun Choi.
Despite the performance, the Roadrunners finished just outside the qualifications for the NJAC Tournament first round, closing their season with an 8-5-4 overall record and a 3-4-2 in conference play.
Rutgers-Newark, who entered with a 7-6-4 record, came in eyeing the #5 seed in the NJAC Tournament. The Scarlet Raiders set the tone early, breaking through Ramapo’s defense in the 32nd minute. Edgar Silva scored at 31:55, putting Rutgers-Newark up 1-0. Ramapo, however, quickly regrouped, and just five minutes later, freshman midfielder Gianfranco Ponce struck back in the 36th minute, off a pass from freshman midfielder Jalal Khalifeh and scoring his team-leading 10th goal of the season. The teams remained even at 1-1 through halftime.
In the second half the Roadrunners increased their offensive pressure, tallying 10 shots to keep Rutgers-Newark’s defense on their toes. In total, Ramapo managed 17 shots, with six on target, while also recording seven corner kicks. Matthews made seven crucial saves throughout the match to keep Ramapo within reach. Yet, the Scarlet Raiders’ defense held firm, and their work paid off late in the game. In the 84th minute, Rutgers-Newark’s Erick Cortes found an opening and scored his 11th goal of the season in the 83rd minute, giving the Scarlet Raiders a 2-1 lead.
With the NJAC standings finalized, the Scarlet Raiders secured the #5 seed and advanced to the first round of the NJAC Tournament. For the Roadrunners, the season ends with a respectable record and notable individual performances, including Ponce’s season-high 10 goals and being named NJAC Rookie of the Week three times this season.
lkelyman@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @tessapofahlphotos, Instagram
