Rutgers-Camden advances to NCAA Div. III Elite Eight
Raptors advance to Elite Eight
CANTON, N.Y. – Senior Tim VanLiew (Deptford, NJ/Deptford) and sophomore Mitch Grotti (Milmay, NJ/Millville) have been key cogs in the success of the Rutgers University-Camden men's soccer team all season long.
The two players, who were named Goalkeeper of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year by the New Jersey Athletic Conference, came up big again here Saturday with record-tying performances, and as a result, the ninth-ranked Scarlet Raptors have earned a trip to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight.
Grotti scored the game's lone goal in the 30th minute and VanLiew made nine saves to help the Raptors post a 1-0 victory over Babson College in a Sweet 16 game of the 2011 Division III NCAA Men's Soccer Championships at St. Lawrence University.
In the first game of the day, 21st-ranked Oneonta State (17-2-2) handed second-ranked St. Lawrence University (18-1-1) its only loss of the season, 2-1 in double-overtime, to eliminate the host Saints. St. Lawrence had been the last remaining unbeaten team in the tournament.
Rutgers-Camden will play Oneonta State Sunday at 1 p.m. for the right to advance to the Division III Final Four, which will be held in San Antonio, Texas, Dec. 2-3.
With its first loss since September 3, 11th-ranked Babson sees its Division III-leading 20-game unbeaten streak come to an end. The Beavers finished their outstanding 2011 campaign with a record of 16-3-4.
The victory extends Rutgers-Camden's unbeaten streak to 17 games (15-0-2), tying the program single-season record set by the 2004 squad, which opened the year with a 13-0-4 run.
Records were the order of the day for the Scarlet Raptors. Grotti scored his goal at 29:50 off the rebound of a saved shot by freshman teammate Corey Beltran (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown). It was Grotti's 18th goal, allowing him to tie the single-season program mark shared by George Scafidi (1975) and Ed Hartley (1981). Coupled with his seven assists, it also gave Grotti 43 points, breaking the old single-season mark of 42 held by Hartley from 1981.
Babson had the majority of the chances in the first half of play, outshooting the Scarlet Raptors, 8-3. The Beavers' best opportunity came in the 22nd minute, when senior Ryan Obolewicz (Bow, NJ/Bow) found space at the top of the box and hit a rocket toward the upper left corner. However, VanLiew made a fantastic lunging save to his right, knocking the shot beyond the post to keep Babson off the board.
The Scarlet Raptors struck not long after that save. The play started with Beltran taking a hard shot from the middle of the box that was saved by Babson senior Peter Crowley (Lexington, MA/Brooks School). The rebound then caromed directly to Grotti, who blasted into the center of the open net.
"Any time you can get an early goal in a big game it eases the nerves and gives you some confidence," said Rutgers-Camden coach Tim Oswald, whose club is undefeated since a 1-0 loss at Eastern University Sept. 14. "We struggled a little early on, but Mitch's goal gave us a boost and we were able to hold Babson off at the end. Corey has had a great NCAA tournament for us and he has been a factor with his speed. He did it again today and Mitch finished the play off."
The Beavers threatened twice in the final four minutes of the opening period, but VanLiew denied them on both occasions. He came off the line to intercept a dangerous cross by first-year Shawn Citro (Oakland, NJ/Don Bosco Preparatory) at the 41-minute mark and then smothered an off-balance shot by falling junior Eric Anderson (Scituate, MA/The Rivers School) with just over a minute remaining.
"Tim VanLiew has been phenomenal throughout his career. He has played every match this season and has given us great leadership," Oswald said of his senior keeper.
VanLiew, a senior co-captain, etched his name deeper into the program record books on Saturday. Already the owner of numerous goalie records, he played in his 88th career contest – starting every one of them – to set a new program record. He had been tied with three other players. He did it in style, too, collecting his 11th shutout of the season to tie the program mark set by Jim Skene in 1981. That shutout also extended his program career record to 31 shutouts and 56 victories, two of his many school records.
Babson had a golden opportunity just ten seconds into the second half, as senior captain Max Walker (Newton, MA/BB&N) beat several defenders and broke in alone on VanLiew. Walker then took aim at the near upper ninety from the left side of the six-yard box, but his shot attempt sailed just over the crossbar.
The Beavers poured on intense offensive pressure over the final 20 minutes of regulation but failed to come up with the tying goal. Their most dangerous chances came in the final seven minutes, beginning when sophomore Mike Fisher (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) followed up a rebound of junior Jimmy Stento's (Needham, MA/Needham) blocked shot and fired it a yard over the crossbar from the top of the box at 83:33. Fisher then had another bid at 84:43, when his header off a cross from senior Salomon Guindi (Mexico City, Mexico/The American School) went past the diving hands of VanLiew but wide of the left post.
Babson threatened again when Guindi's corner kick from the left side found the head of junior Ayo Iwuagwu (Lagos, Nigeria/Brooks School) in the center of the box, but his deflection carried just over the crossbar at 87:52. The Beavers then had one final chance with just over a minute remaining, but Anderson's header off a long cross from Citro fell right into the hands of VanLiew as Rutgers-Camden came away with the 1-0 victory.
Babson's all-time leader in goalkeeper victories, Crowley finished with six saves in the final game of his brilliant collegiate career. The Beavers held a 20-13 shot advantage in the contest, as well as a 7-4 edge in corner kicks.
The Scarlet Raptors' 19th victory extended their single-season program record. Prior to this season, the record was 16 wins by the 2008 team, the only other Rutgers-Camden squad to qualify for the NCAA tournament. VanLiew was the freshman goalie on that team.
NCAA Div. III Men's Soccer Championships
(at St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY)
Saturday, Nov. 19 (Sweet 16)
SUNY-Oneonta 2, St. Lawrence 1 (2OT)
Rutgers-Camden 1, Babson 0
Sunday, Nov. 20 (Elite Eight)
Rutgers-Camden (19-2-2) vs. SUNY-Oneonta (17-2-2), 1 p.m.
