CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 23, 2013) – The NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship Elite Eight game here Sunday night will have a New Jersey Athletic Conference flavor.

A pair of NJAC powers, Rutgers University-Camden and Montclair State University, advanced to an Elite Eight showdown Sunday at 5 p.m. with a pair of Sweet 16 victories here Saturday.

Rutgers-Camden eliminated York (PA) College, 3-1, in the opening game and Montclair State sealed the all-NJAC game with a 1-0 victory over the University of Rochester. Both games were played in frigid conditions, with brief snow flurries between contests.

The Scarlet Raptors and the Red Hawks played to a 0-0 tie in double overtime at Rutgers-Camden on Oct. 12.

 

Rutgers-Camden 3, York 1

The Scarlet Raptors received two goals from senior midfielder Keegan Balle (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley) and one from junior midfielder Joe Auleta (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) as they raised their record to 21-0-2 and extended their unbeaten streak to 35 games (30-0-5).

Rutgers-Camden, ranked No. 2 nationally in the D3soccer.com Top 25 and No. 3 in the NSCAA poll, got a measure of revenge against the Spartans, who eliminated the Scarlet Raptors from the NCAA tournament last season in a Second Round game. After the two teams battled to a scoreless tie, York advanced on penalty kicks.

Balle made sure this game wouldn’t finish in a scoreless tie when he drilled a 25 yard shot into the right corner of the net a 39:09, assisted by sophomore midfielder Connor Hurff (Sewell, NJ/St. Augustine Prep). His goal came after intense end-to-end action in which both teams saw offensive surges stopped by stingy defenses.

Shortly after Balle’s goal, the Raptors took a corner kick and after a deflection, the ball bounded out to Auleta about 25 yards from the net. He finished off his second goal of the season at 43:03 to make it a 2-0 game.

Balle added his second goal of the game, and seventh of the season, at 50:47, sliding a shot inside the far post from a crowded goal mouth. The insurance goal proved to be a big one, as York got on the scoreboard at 57:49 after sophomore back Ryan Donahue (York, PA/York Suburban) sent a long ball into the box that was finished inside the left post by sophomore forward Brendan Saberton (Wilmington, DE/Salesianum). It was Saberton’s 10th goal of the season.

Both teams had 16 shots on goal, while York held a 12-4 advantage in corner kicks.

Rutgers-Camden senior goalie Mike Randall (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made six saves to extend his school record with his 21st win. York junior keeper Brad Schmidt (Moorestown, NJ/Delran) had five saves.

The game was the 90th career contest for Raptor senior midfielder Mitch Grotti (Milmay, NJ/Millville), setting a new program record.

York, ranked No. 7 in D3soccer.com and No. 9 in the NSCAA, closes at 19-3-1.

 

Montclair State 1, Rochester 0

Montclair State got an early goal, Rochester played most of the game a man down due to a red card and the Red Hawks hung on in the second half to eliminate the Yellowjackets.

Montclair State scored the game’s lone goal at 15:32 when sophomore midfielder Lucas Terci (Union, NJ/Union) ran onto a long pass from freshman forward Mike Olla (Bloomfield, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep) and chipped a shot over Rochester senior keeper Mike Moranz (Pittsford, NJ/Pittsford Sutherland).

Later in the half, Moranz drew an unintentional red card when he charged out of the net in the attempt to break up a breakaway by the Red Hawks’ Jesse Shea (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). Moranz missed clearing the ball and tangled up with Shea, both went down and Moranz drew the red card for taking down the offensive player.

Rochester played the final 51:39 of the game shorthanded, but the Yellowjackets applied plenty of pressure in the second half, outshooting the Red Hawks 8-3, before Montclair State nailed down the shutout.

Montclair State, ranked 13th in the final regular-season D3soccer.com poll and No. 22 in the NSCAA Top 25, improves to 17-3-3. Rochester, ranked No. 10/11 in the D3soccer.com and NSCAA polls, respectively, closes its season at 15-3-2.

Rochester finished with an 18-13 edge in shots and a 10-7 advantage in corner kicks.

Moranz made six saves and freshman Michael Shatkin (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) added one acrobatic save after he entered as the Yellowjackets’ goalie.

Montclair State junior keeper Kevin Lynch (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) made eight saves to record his second shutout of the season.