Rutgers-Camden adds more program history

October 22, 2013

LANGHORNE, Penn. (Oct. 22, 2013) – With a chance to leave their imprint, once again, on the program’s all-time record book, the Rutgers University-Camden men’s soccer team didn’t waste the opportunity here Tuesday afternoon.

The Scarlet Raptors outshot host Cairn University, 31-1, and beat the Highlanders, 2-0, to tie the all-time record for the longest undefeated start to a season in program history.

The best undefeated start was set by the 2004 team, which went unbeaten for 17 games (13-0-4) before suffering a loss. This year’s Raptors not only tied that 17-game run on Tuesday, but actually outdid their predecessors in the process, hiking their record to 15-0-2.

Cairn, which has lost six games in a row, falls to 7-9.

Not only did the Raptors tie their program mark for best undefeated start, but the 17-game run also tied the school’s overall longest unbeaten streak in one season, coming with that 2004 team and with the 2011 squad, which went 15-0-2 from Sept. 17-Nov. 19.

The Raptors’ victory also helped them climb higher up the all-time NCAA Division III ladder for consecutive games without a loss. Rutgers-Camden, which earlier in the day saw its national ranking hiked to No. 3 in the D3soccer.com Top 25 and No. 4 in the NSCAA poll, extended its two-year undefeated string to 29 games (24-0-5). The streak ties the Raptors for 12th place on the all-time NCAA Division III list with Johns Hopkins (Oct. 30, 1995-Nov. 2, 2002) and Gustavus Adolphus College (Sept. 20, 2003-Oct. 8, 2004), and is the second-longest active streak in NCAA Division III. Amherst College (10-0-2), from Massachusetts, currently owns a 32-game unbeaten streak heading into its next game Saturday at Western New England College. Earlier this season, defending national champion Messiah saw its 33-game unbeaten streak snapped.

Despite a 13-0 advantage in shots and a 5-1 edge in corner kicks in the opening half, Rutgers-Camden didn’t dent the Cairn goal until 2:58 before halftime on a goal by sophomore midfielder Guiseppe DeLuca (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek). DeLuca took a pass from sophomore midfielder Grant Taylor (Tewksbury, NJ/West Morris-Mendham) and lofted a shot into the right corner over Cairn goalie Dave Shaffer (Denver, PA/Garden Spot). It was DeLuca’s second goal of the season and the first game-winning goal of his collegiate career.

The Scarlet Raptors added an insurance goal only 3:33 into the second half when senior midfielder Stevan Austino (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) tallied his fifth goal, assisted by senior midfielder Mitch Grotti (Milmay, NJ/Millville). For Grotti, it was the 21st assist of his career and broke a tie he had with Mike Zeno (1992-95) for the all-time scoring lead at Rutgers-Camden. With a record 45 career goals, Grotti now owns 111 points, one more than Zeno’s old mark.

Cairn didn’t get its lone shot until 57:34, and Raptor senior keeper Mike Randall (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made the only save he needed to record his ninth shutout of the season.

Shaffer finished with 13 saves for Cairn.

Rutgers-Camden hosts Ramapo College in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game Saturday at 1 p.m.