Rutgers-Camden ready
for banner soccer season
2005 Review/2006 Preview

        During the last four seasons, the Rutgers-Camden men’s soccer team has posted the most successful run in program history.
        Tim Oswald will be looking to improve on that success this fall when he takes over as the Raptors’ head coach for Greg Ogden, who resigned in November after Rutgers-Camden lost in the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship game.
        Ogden posted a 68-39-14 record in his six years as the Scarlet Raptors’ head coach, including back-to-back 15-win seasons in 2004 and 2005. Those campaigns are the only two 15-win seasons in the history of a program that started in 1958, and they capped an amazing 47-24-10 four-year run for the Raptors’ senior class.
        “We have a nice blend of experienced veterans and a talented corps of freshmen and transfers,” said Oswald, who spent the last three years as an assistant coach with powerful Arcadia University. “You don’t want to be over-confident and at the same time you try to establish realistic program goals for ourselves this year. Obviously, we would like to be competitive in the NJAC conference and reach the playoffs for a third consecutive season. With the loss of several key players from last year, we are asking certain individuals to change roles and positions while still providing leadership to our youth, who need to step up as well. Our style of play, our team shape and discipline need to change quickly in order to taste a bit of success sooner than later. If we are able to do that and players seize the opportunity and play within the moment, we very well may be able to reach the NCAA’s for the first time in school history.”
        No men’s team has ever reached the NCAA Tournament in Rutgers-Camden history, but the soccer program nearly did it last year before losing the NJAC final, 1-0, at The College of New Jersey.  
        The Scarlet Raptors are primed for another try this year, entering the season listed in the “Others Receiving Votes” section of the d3kicks.com Top 25 pre-season poll. Rutgers-Camden received nine votes. The Raptors showed their potential during a pre-season play day when they faced three perennial powers, posting wins over host Eastern College (1-0) and DeSales (3-1) and tying Elizabethtown (0-0). Eastern is ranked No. 17 nationally in the pre-season NSCAA/adidas Div. III Top 25 poll and received votes to the pre-season d3kicks.com Top 25.
        Despite the Raptors’ potential, they were picked eighth in the rugged 10-team NJAC in the pre-season coaches’ poll, despite receiving one first-place vote. Rutgers-Camden opens its season Saturday, September 2, with a 12 p.m. game at another perennial power, the Merchant Marine Academy.
        Rutgers-Camden graduated seven seniors, including three players who vaulted to the top of the program’s career list for games played: Brandon Bond (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) and Kevin Ridgway (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) both set a new record with 80 games played in their four years. Tom Blumenstein (Audubon, NJ/Paul VI) finished with 79 games played, capping his senior season as an All-NJAC First Team and All-Metro Region First Team player. Also graduating were four-year stars Devin Burgin (Pennsauken, NJ/Bishop Eustace), Tom Guida (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) and Brett Mattei (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township), as well as tri-captain Baris Uslu (Giresun, Turkey/Triton Regional), who had a fine Raptor career after transferring from Camden County College. Those seven players combined for 20 goals and 19 assists last season, including a team-leading 21 points (eight goals, five assists) from Uslu. Burgin, meanwhile, tied for second on the team in scoring with 18 points (seven goals, four assists).
        Blumenstein, Mattei and Uslu each earned All-NJAC honors last fall. Guida and Bond captured NJAC All-Academic awards.
        That senior group spearheaded one of the most spectacular soccer seasons in Rutgers-Camden history as the Scarlet Raptors went 15-5-1 against a rugged schedule, placed second in the conference for the highest NJAC finish in  program history, and reached the NJAC championship game before losing a 1-0 decision at No. 8-ranked The College of New Jersey (Nov. 5).
        Along the way, the Raptors played 10 games against teams which were ranked in the national Top 25 (going 6-4), and recorded wins over a pair of teams ranked No. 8 at the time Rutgers-Camden played them (4-3 in overtime over Richard Stockton Sept. 17 and 5-0 over Ramapo Oct. 26). The win over Stockton was the first for Rutgers-Camden since 1992, and the Raptors posted a 3-1 victory against Rowan in their next game (Sept. 21), only their second win ever against the Profs.
        The Raptors opened the campaign with a 2-1 victory over pre-season No. 22 Elizabethtown (2-1 Sept. 1). They posted a 2-1 win over Ramapo in the NJAC semifinals (Nov. 2) before closing the season with a 1-0 loss against another No. 8 team, TCNJ, in the NJAC final.
        Rutgers-Camden broke into the national poll at No. 24 on Sept. 20, and peaked at No. 23 in the Nov. 1 poll. Along the way, the Raptors also became the first team in program history to reach double-digit victories for three straight years. They went 40-13-9 over that span.
        Rutgers-Camden finished with five players named to the All-NJAC squads, and the Raptors return two of those stars this season in midfielders Pat Baldiserra (Milmay, NJ/Buena Regional) and Michael Reed (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East). Baldiserra, a junior who could be one of the top players in the country, has earned First Team All-NJAC honors in each of his two seasons at Rutgers-Camden. He also was named to the NSCAA’s All-Metro Region First Team after a banner year in which he scored six goals, tied for the club lead with three game-winning goals, and led the team with six assists. He finished with 18 points, tying Burgin for second in scoring.
        “Pat has the ability to take over a match with his distribution, vision and pace,” Oswald said. “He will be asked to dictate our attack and help to get numbers forward with his possessive style of play. He truly is a special player and has all the ingredients to be an All-American in his career by the time he graduates.”
        Reed, another outstanding midfielder, had two goals and two assists during his junior year, when he earned All-NJAC Second Team honors despite playing with injuries.
        “Mike is an excellent holding midfielder,” Oswald said. “Not only are we able to play through him, but he is able to protect the flat back four and eliminate passing lanes and seams. I am expecting him to put together a solid year and cap off his already-successful career.”
        Baldiserra and Reed are among 15 letterwinners on the Scarlet Raptors’ roster this season, and are two of the big-time players Oswald will rely on. He also is expecting big things out of veteran junior Ryan Evans (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) and sophomore Tim Ennis (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson), a pair of big center backs, sophomore forward Andrew Dorsey (Mt. Laurel, NJ/The King’s Christian School) and a pair of veteran midfielders in juniors Onur Yilmaz (Delran, NJ/Delran) and Rodney Guishard (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest).
        “They all can become big-time players for us this year and we are relying on each of them to carry the load for us,” Oswald said. “They need to believe in the coaching staff as well as carry out the philosophies we are trying to establish within the program. They should be able to grasp the concepts quickly and execute them within game situations. Their individual performances game in and game out will determine how the chips fall for us this year and the success we have.”
        In addition to the all-conference duo of Baldiserra and Reed, Guishard produced five goals and three assists for 13 points last season, while Dorsey had four goals and three assists for 11 points. Evans (2-1-5) and Ennis (1-0-2) will both anchor the middle of the Raptors’ defense, giving the Raptors a pair of big center backs at 6-2 and 5-11, respectively.
        Yilmaz, meanwhile, is coming back from injuries which prematurely ended his season in 2005. Despite playing in only 15 games, he still scored 15 points (six goals, three assists), to finish fourth on the team.
        “Onur is one of the premier left-sided players in the region,” Oswald said. “When he is healthy and fit, he can create some problems for teams in our attacking third in one-on-one situations and be incredibly dangerous. Dorsey and Guishard are athletic and supplement our attack nicely. Andrew is one of our only true finishers. Rodney is from top to bottom one of our fittest players.”
        Oswald also is expecting significant contributions from six newcomers: Chris Amato (Stratford, NJ/Sterling), Mark Gidjunis (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson), Milton Suah (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central), Chase Komer (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown), Dom Crocetti (Marlton, NJ/Holy Cross) and Tom Collins (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape).
        Amato, a junior transfer from Camden County College, will start as the Raptors’ left fullback, joining Evans, Ennis and sophomore right back A.J. O’Malley (Westmont, NJ/Haddon Township) on the totally-rebuilt Rutgers-Camden defense. The entire quartet is new to the back, but the Raptors have seen positive results in the pre-season, as well as during the spring of 2006.
        “Our back four, although converted midfielders and forwards, has the ability to attack from the flanks and create overlapping combinations in the middle and attacking third.” Oswald said. “Both Chris and A.J. are intelligent with the ball and typically make the proper choices. Tim and Ryan have the size and the one-on-one defending ability to disrupt the attack.”
        The last line of defense will be the Raptors’ strong stable of goalkeepers, including returning veterans in senior David Cunningham (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) and junior Brent Grunow (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional). Those keepers combined for practically all of the Raptors’ minutes in goal last year, with Cunningham recording a 1.14 goals-against average and a 10-3-1 record in 1,179:08 minutes, while Grunow was 1.88 and 5-2 in 671:07. Another returning keeper is junior Chris Comuso (Turnersville, NJ/Washington Township), who posted a perfect 0.00 goals-against average in 70:48 minutes over three games.
        Another keeper who is pushing Cunningham and Grunow for significant time is freshman Corey McDonough (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic), who was an outstanding two-sport athlete (soccer and golf) in high school.
        “Dave is clearly our number one,” Oswald said. “Having a 6-5 goalie at the D3 level is definitely an advantage. Hopefully, he will be able to recover from his surgery and regain his stature from his earlier years. He can command the box and has experience in big game situations. Until he fully recovers, Grunow and McDonough will be battling it out for the starting spot. Each of them has strengths that could make them reliable keepers in the clutch.”
        The defense also will receive plenty of help from senior Shawn Cunning (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood), who has started 39 of his 46 games at Rutgers-Camden. Three freshman backs include Collins, Pat Morris (Bellmawr, NJ/Paul VI) and Jack Hagen (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial). Another freshman, who will play back or midfield, is Paul Baerman (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown).
        The Raptors’ outstanding midfield will feature Yilmaz on the left side, Guishard on the right and the trio of Reed, Baldiserra and Komer in the middle.
        Rutgers-Camden will have plenty of depth in the midfield with newcomers Gidjunis, Crocetti and Komer, as well as junior veterans James Fiorani (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) and Rob Gambino (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). Gambino (three goals, two assists for eight points) and Fiorani (0-1-1) saw significant playing time last season.
        “A true strength for us will be our depth in the midfield,” Oswald said. “Many of our players have the ability to contribute effectively for us this year.”
        One of those players is Suah, a 6-0 junior transfer who played at New Jersey City University two years ago. He should provide a big boost up top.
        “Milton Suah is an incredible target with the size and strength to hold the ball and allow us to get numbers forward,” Oswald said.
        Joining Dorsey and Suah as workhorses up top will be Evan Graves (Somerdale, NJ/Triton Regional), who returns for his senior year in school after several years away from college, and sophomore Neil Boghean (Mansfield, NJ/Northern Burlington), who returns after missing the entire 2005 season with injuries. Graves scored 24 points for the Scarlet Raptors (nine goals, six assists) from 1999-2001.
        Other key people will be freshman back Dan Henson (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) and freshman forward Kevin Lamb (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights).
        “We have speed, we’re big, we’re strong and we’re creative,” Oswald said. “We can go 17-18 deep and not lose a beat. They are definitely a talented group, however, they need to come together as a team and realize how good they can become. If things click for us, the coaching staff believes this could be a true stepping stone for us and the program’s future as a respected member in the NJAC, the region and the nation.”