Rutgers-Camden men edge Stockton
to reach ECAC Metro soccer final

CAMDEN (Nov. 11, 2006) –  Freshman midfielder Mark Gidjunis (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) scored the game-winning goal with 12:52 remaining, assisted by senior forward Evan Graves (Somerdale, NJ/Triton Regional), to power Rutgers University-Camden over Richard Stockton College, 2-1, in a semifinal game of the ECAC Div. III Men’s Metro Soccer Championship here Saturday.

The second-seeded Scarlet Raptors will play for the ECAC title Sunday at 1 p.m. at top-seeded New Jersey City University. The Gothic Knights also earned a 2-1 semifinal victory Saturday, beating #4 Kean University.

The ECAC Metro title game will mark the third meeting between Rutgers-Camden and NJCU this season. The pair of New Jersey Athletic Conference rivals played in Jersey City Oct. 25, with Rutgers-Camden posting a 3-2 victory. They had a battle in Camden Oct. 31 in the NJAC playoff semifinals. After playing to a 1-1 double-overtime deadlock, the Gothic Knights advanced to the final by winning the penalty kick tie-breaker, 4-1.

With a potential overtime approaching, the Raptors notched the winning goal when Graves sent a cross to the top of the box from the left side. Gidjunis, who had notched his first collegiate goal in a 4-1 ECAC quarterfinal win over City College of New York Thursday night, settled the ball, spun and hit a shot into the left side of the net for his second goal and first collegiate game-winning tally.

That goal proved to be enough to help the Scarlet Raptors eliminate the defending ECAC Metro tournament champions. Stockton closes its season at 14-6-2, while Rutgers-Camden heads to the finals with a 12-4-6 record.

The Raptors notched the game’s first goal at 20:46 when sophomore forward Andrew Dorsey (Mt. Laurel, NJ/The King’s Christian School) scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season. He slipped a shot inside the right post after taking a short through ball in the box from junior midfielder Pat Baldiserra (Milmay, NJ/Buena Regional). The assist was the 12th of the year for Baldiserra, tying the program’s single-season record shared by Ruthven Williams (1976) and Mike Zeno (1995).

Stockton tied the game 3:24 into the second half when senior midfielder Brad Wescott (Newfield, NJ/Buena Regional) scored his third goal of the year off of a loose ball in the box.

Rutgers-Camden held a slim 14-13 advantage in shots and a 6-4 margin in corner kicks. Raptors senior goalie David Cunningham (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) and Ospreys sophomore keeper Matt Hart (Dayton, NJ/South Brunswick) each made five saves.