Rutgers Men’s Soccer Draws USF, 0-0

October 19, 2013

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  (October 19, 2013) – The Rutgers men’s soccer team celebrated Senior Night with neither team willing to break in a 0-0 draw with USF in American Athletic Conference (AAC) action Saturday night at Yurcak Field.

For Rutgers, it was their fourth overtime game of the 2013 season as they moved to 5-8-2 overall and 2-3-1 in the AAC.  The Scarlet Knights, with two regular season conference contests remaining, currently stand in fifth place in the league standing.  UCF played its seventh overtime match of the year and went to 4-2-7 overall and 1-1-3 in conference.

Goalkeeper David Greczek (Fairfield, N.J.) earned his fourth shutout of the year in the double overtime tie, making a career-high 11 stops in 110 minutes of play.  Six of his 11 saves came in overtime.

After ending regulation almost evenly matched in shots, with USF holding a slight edge, 11-10, the Bulls came out putting four of their five shots of the first overtime on net.  Greczek thwarted four of the oppositions look at the net.  Senior forward Kene Eze (Sayreville, N.J.) accounted for both of RU’s shots in the first overtime with a header going wide of the Bull net and a kick blocked at the top of the box with time winding down.

The second overtime saw Greczek continue to be a stalwart in goal with two early saves including one directly on goal from five yards out by Kennedy Selorm Adablah and a free kick from just outside the left side of the box that found its way on goal by Lindo Mfeka.

The Scarlet Knights had two late chances to light up the scoreboard.  It appeared Eze broke free of the USF defense in the 107th minute and had a chance for a goal at point blank range, but was called offsides.  A minute later, Rutgers’ leader in points, sophomore Mael Corboz (Green Brook, N.J.) sent a corner to the front of the box, but freshman Erik Sa’s (Watchung, N.J.) header went up and over the crossbar.

Corboz led the Scarlet Knights with four shots, including a pair on net, while sophomore forward J.P Correa (Montville, N.J) had three shots.  In all six different Scarlet Knights were able to get shots off against the Bulls.

MFeka led USF with five shots, including four on goal, with Adablah with a trio of looks at the RU goal.

Both Greczek and his counterpart in the USF goal, Muhammad Brentton earned shutouts.  Brentton made three saves as his Bulls played a full 110 minutes for the third straight contest.

“They’ve only had two losses.  They are a very good team and very dangerous going forward,” said head coach Dan Donigan of USF following the scoreless draw.  “They struggled to score, as did we. They had some unbelievable chances and you hope your goalkeeper can make those big time saves and (Greczek) made a couple tonight.  I feel very fortunate and it was a great game for him.”

“Kene (Eze) is back so I think that’s a boost to us,” add Donigan.  “He got some quality minutes and maybe Wednesday we get Mitchell (Taintor) back.  We’ve got Temple coming in who we are going to try and keep below us in the standings and fight for those top four spots in the conference tournament.”

The Rutgers men’s soccer team is in the final stretch of the regular season with two games remaining.   RU hosts Temple on Wednesday Oct. 23 in the home regular season finale at 7 p.m. at Yurcak Field and closes out 2013 regular season slate at UCF in Orlando, Fla. on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMensSoccer) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/RUMensSoccer) for all of the latest news and updates. Fans also receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on both social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.

-RU-

 

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