During Tim Oswald’s three years as head coach of the Rutgers-Camden men’s soccer team, the Scarlet Raptors have risen from a good regional team to a nationally-recognized and well-respected program. Rutgers-Camden’s dynamic Dutch style of play, team shape, and an attacking-minded brand of possession-oriented soccer have enabled the Raptors to compete against some of the top Division III teams in the nation with confidence and success.

        Rutgers-Camden made a dramatic jump into the elite level during the 2008 season when Oswald’s team produced the finest season in program history. The Scarlet Raptors set a club record for wins, achieved their highest NCAA ranking ever and became the first men’s program in school history – in any sport – to qualify for a NCAA Division III tournament.

        By the time the Raptors completed their banner campaign, Rutgers-Camden had produced a 16-5-2 record, including a 5-5-2 record against teams appearing in the national rankings.  All five defeats came against four NCAA Division III tournament teams. Two of those four teams went to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 or better and two advanced to the NCAA Second Round. Of the four opponents, two finished in the NSCAA national Top 10 and the other two finished in the Top 20.

        The Scarlet Raptors spent six weeks in the 2008 NSCAA/adidas national poll, peaking at No. 10 on Sept. 23 for the highest NCAA ranking in program history. They received votes to the final NSCAA/adidas Top 25 poll and also tied for 16th in the final soccerrankings.com chart while sporting one of the highest strength of schedule ratings in the nation. Rutgers-Camden also achieved its highest final Metro Regional ranking in program history from the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Committee, earning a No. 2 spot on Nov. 5.

        Along the way, the 2008 Scarlet Raptors won championships at the North Carolina Wesleyan Fall Classic and at their own Cialella Soccer Classic. They finished third during the regular season in the powerhouse New Jersey Athletic Conference. They advanced to the NJAC championship game, where they suffered a 1-0 loss to Montclair State University, which was ranked No. 3 nationally. Despite that loss, the Raptors’ success earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, making them the first men’s program in the history of the school to play in any NCAA tournament. The season ended with a 2-0 loss in a downpour at Swarthmore College against a team which finished its season as the country’s 13th-ranked program.

        Oswald’s players captured numerous honors in 2008, including three berths on the All-Metro Region teams, four players earning All-NJAC honors, two NJAC Player of the Week awards and six NJAC Rookie of the Week honors. The Raptors also had two players named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Men’s Soccer Academic All-Area Team, with junior Mark Gidjunis earning honors as the team’s Co-Player of the Year. His selection marked the second straight season a Rutgers-Camden athlete was named the Inquirer’s Player of the Year on the Academic All-Area squad, following in the footsteps of Rodney Guishard in 2007.

        Rutgers-Camden’s success raised Oswald’s three-year Raptor record to an amazing 42-16-11 record, during which time his teams have won back-to-back ECAC Metro championships (2006, 2007) and earned their first NCAA tournament berth.

        All that success led Oswald to his second consecutive honor as the Edward C. Cialella Coach of the Year at Rutgers-Camden’s annual athletic awards banquet in May, 2009.

        During Oswald’s first two seasons at Rutgers-Camden, his team finished in the NJAC Top 4 during the regular season, reached the NJAC playoffs, won 13 games and capped its campaign by winning the ECAC Metro championship. Those titles made him the only coach in program history to end his year with a post-season victory.

        Rutgers-Camden finished the last 2006 and 2007 seasons as the No. 6 team in the final NSCAA Metro Region rankings and received votes toward the d3kicks.com national poll both seasons. During the 2008 campaign, the Raptors finished as the No. 4 team in the Metro Region after spending three weeks at a program-high No. 2.

        Not content to build his record against mediocre teams, Oswald is constantly upgrading the Raptors’ rugged schedule to face the top teams in the country. In his 69 games at Rutgers-Camden, Oswald has coached 33 times against nationally-ranked teams, leading the Scarlet Raptors to 12 wins and nine ties against that rugged competition. During that span, the Scarlet Raptors are 30-4-2 against unranked opponents.

        Oswald turned in an outstanding coaching performance during the 2007 season on the way to his first Rutgers-Camden Coach of the Year honor. He led the Raptors to a 13-7-3 record and their second straight ECAC Metro title in the wake of the tragic loss of their top player, Pat Baldiserra. The All-America midfielder was killed in an automobile accident during the summer of 2007, prior to his senior season.

        The 2007 Scarlet Raptors posted two wins and three ties against Top 25 teams, while producing four All-NJAC players and four NSCAA Regional All-Americans. They also saw three players named to the 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Soccer Team including Guishard, who was named as the Player of the Year on the Inquirer’s Academic squad. Guishard also finished tied for 32nd nationally in assists per game (0.50, with 11 assists in 22 games).