College Soccer: Raptor of the Week: Michael Reed Monday, September 18, 2006 By Mike Ballard RutgersCamden Sports Correspondent RAPTOR OF THE WEEK Michael Reed (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) A sparkplug center midfielder, senior Michael Reed displayed his typical high-level performance in a pair of shutout wins for the Scarlet Raptors’ soccer team last week. Reed added a pair of goals in the first 8:28 of play, including the game-winning tally, as Rutgers-Camden defeated Rutgers-Newark, 5-0, in its New Jersey Athletic Conference opener Sept. 16. MEN'S SOCCER (3-2-1 overall/1-0 NJAC) September Tues. 12 Rutgers-Camden 2, Albright College 0 Sat. 16* Rutgers-Camden 5, Rutgers-Newark 0 Upcoming games Wed. 20* at Rowan University 7 p.m. Sat. 23* Kean University 1 p.m. Wed. 27* The College of New Jersey 7 p.m. Sat. 30* at Montclair State University 1 p.m. The Rutgers-Camden men’s soccer team climbed over .500 for the first time this season with a pair shutout victories in Camden over Albright College (2-0, Sept. 12) and Rutgers-Newark (5-0, Sept. 16). The Scarlet Raptors opened their New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule against sister school Rutgers-Newark with a bang. Senior midfielder Michael Reed (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) scored a pair of goals in the opening 8:28, both assisted by junior midfielder Onur Yilmaz (Delran, NJ/Delran) to spark the Scarlet Raptors over the Scarlet Raiders. Reed notched his first goal of the season at 3:17 after a corner kick by Yilmaz sailed through the goal mouth to the far left post. Reed finished off the play at the far post. Reed scored against following a restart by Yilmaz from 40 yards out, running onto a drive into the box and one-touching a shot into the net at 8:28. The Scarlet Raptors, who held a 21-7 advantage in shots, tacked on three second-half goals, with sophomore forward Andrew Dorsey (Mt. Laurel, NJ/The King’s Christian School) and junior midfielder Rob Gambino (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) assisting on each other’s goals at 57:43 and 63:22. Dorsey scored his third goal of the season after Gambino head-flicked a cross through the box to the far right post, where Dorsey tapped it in. Less than six minutes later, Dorsey sprung Gambino with a through ball around Newark sophomore goalie Matthew Johnson. It was Gambino’s first goal of the season. The Raptors added their final goal at 85:05 when sophomore midfielder Neil Boghean (Mansfield, NJ/Northern Burlington) finished off a 25-yard chip into the box by junior forward Milton Suah (Trenton, NJ/Trenton Central). Johnson collected six saves for the Scarlet Raiders. A trio of Rutgers-Camden goalies combined for the shutout, with senior David Cunningham (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) playing the first 62:58 and making four saves in earning the win. Junior Brent Grunow (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional) made one save in 18:59 and freshman Corey McDonough (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) played the final 8:03, collecting his first collegiate save. In their first game of the week, the Raptors saw junior midfielder Pat Baldiserra (Milmay, NJ/Buena Regional) score a goal on a direct kick 16 seconds before the end of the first half and senior forward Evan Graves (Somerdale, NJ/Triton Regional) added a second-half tally in a 2-0 non-conference win over Albright College. Shortly before halftime, Baldiserra was tripped while cutting across the top of the box. Baldiserra, an All-New Jersey Athletic Conference First Team player in each of his first two years, took a direct kick from 20 yards out and hit a shot into the lower left corner for his first goal of the season. The Scarlet Raptors, who held an 18-7 advantage in shots, finally got some breathing room late in the game after some great individual work by Baldiserra. He found junior forward Rodney Guishard (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest), and Guishard passed to an open Graves at the top of the box, who buried his first goal of the season. Cunningham collected four saves to earn the shutout. Albright sophomore keeper Joe Hartmann had three saves. WOMEN’S SOCCER (5-1 overall/1-0 NJAC) September Mon. 11 Juniata College 4, Rutgers-Camden 3 Wed. 13 Rutgers-Camden 2, Ursinus College 1 Sat. 16* Rutgers-Camden 2, Rutgers-Newark 1 Upcoming games Wed. 20* Rowan University 7 p.m. Sat. 23* at Kean University 7 p.m. Wed. 27* at The College of New Jersey 7:30 p.m. Sat. 30* Montclair State University 1 p.m. The Lady Raptors opened their week with their first loss of the season, a 4-3 defeat at Juniata College Sept. 11. They returned to the win column in their next two games, however, with a 2-1 triumph over Ursinus Sept. 13 and a 2-1 win at Rutgers-Newark Sept. 16. Freshman midfielder Kate Campbell (Mt. Ephraim, NJ/Audubon) broke a tie game with a put-back of a shot off the Rutgers-Newark goalie to power the Lady Raptors to a 2-1 victory over their sister school in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Campbell converted the rebound of a shot by freshman midfielder Kendyll Clayton (Philadelphia, PA/Holy Spirit), which came off of a breakaway save by Newark sophomore keeper Katie Hastings. Campbell’s goal, her second of the season, came at 38:43. The Scarlet Raptors, who improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC, had to rally from an early 1-0 deficit. Rutgers-Newark scored first when sophomore midfielder Jess Sapienza knocked in a cross from freshman midfielder Tanya Groszew. Her shot slipped out of the grasp of Scarlet Raptor sophomore goalie Jayme Gatti (Delran, NJ/Delran) just 1:15 into the game. As it turned out, Sapienza’s shot was the only shot on goal of the game for the Scarlet Raiders, who were out-shot, 17-6. Rutgers-Camden tied the game at 16:23 on an unassisted goal by senior forward Aubree McDermott (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown). McDermott notched her second goal of the season after beating a defender on the left side and firing a shot inside the near post. Junior goalkeeper Kristen Cargen (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) replaced Gatti at the half, but she faced only one shot and did not make a save to close out the match. Gatti faced five first-half shots, making no saves and allowing the early goal. Three days earlier, Rutgers-Camden made the most of its limited opportunities in its home opener, scoring two goals on only three shots as the Lady Raptors outlasted Ursinus College, 2-1, in a non-conference game Sept. 13. The Bears out-shot the Lady Raptors, 14-3, in the game, forcing Cargen to make nine saves. The Raptors, however, notched a goal in each half, including the game-winning tally by freshman midfielder Jessica Leoni (Clementon, NJ/Highland Regional) at 70:32. Leoni, near the far left post, tapped in a long cross from the right side by McDermott. It was the fifth goal of the season for Leoni and the third game-winning tally. It also was McDermott’s fifth assist. That shot by Leoni was the only shot Rutgers-Camden managed in a second half which saw the Bears hold a commanding 10-1 advantage in shots. Ursinus scored its lone goal at 51:49, tying the game at 1-1, when junior forward Noelle Bisinger sent a pass across the top of the box to the right side, which was converted by junior midfielder Sarah Gardner. It was the second goal of the season for Gardner and Bisinger’s second assist. Ursinus threatened most of the second half. After the Lady Raptors notched the go-ahead goal, the Bears nearly tied the game with 1:30 remaining, but a direct kick by junior forward Chelsea Morin slammed off the crossbar. The Raptors scored the lone goal of the first half at 24:55 when junior back Brittney Mancine (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Lenape) tallied her second goal of the year on a direct kick. Mancine’s goal was one of only two shots the Raptors had in the first half – earlier in the half she hit a rocket off the crossbar. Cargen improved her record to 4-0 for the Raptors with her nine saves. The Lady Raptors opened their week with a 4-3 loss at Juniata College Sept. 13. Freshmen Amanda Broadwell and Laura Goodlander scored second-half goals to break a 2-2 tie and goalkeeper Lisa Russo stopped a penalty shot to help Juniata outlast Rutgers-Camden, 4-3, in a non-conference game Sept. 11. The loss was the first of the season for the Lady Raptors, who had opened the year with three straight wins. After watching Juniata score the first two goals of the game, Rutgers-Camden roared back to knot the halftime score at 2-2 on tallies by Leoni and Clayton. Leoni scored at 21:03 on a shot which deflected off a Juniata defender. She assisted on Clayton’s goal at 23:20 with a cross into the box. Just when the Lady Raptors appeared to have regained the momentum, Broadwell collected a loose ball outside the 18-yard line and drilled a shot into the upper right corner at 50:42. Eleven minutes later Russo would help preserve that lead as a hand ball in the box gave Rutgers-Camden a penalty kick. But Russo deflected the Lady Raptors’ low shot and Juniata cleared the ball keep the lead at one. The Eagles turned that momentum into another goal as Goodlander launched a long shot after a failed clearance. Her shot snuck into the upper corner to give Juniata a 4-2 cushion. Rutgers-Camden cut the gap to 4-3 when Campbell finished off the rebound of a shot by senior Katie O’Connor (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) at 70:37. The Lady Raptors had several chances to tie the game in the final 20 minutes, but Russo made two of her four saves down the stretch to save the Eagles’ victory. Rutgers-Camden finished with a 10-7 advantage in shots and a 6-1 edge in corner kicks. The game started slowly for the Lady Raptors, who allowed an own goal at 6:52 and watched Juniata tack on a goal by Alicia Walsh at 9:09. Just as quickly as Juniata scored, Rutgers-Camden erased the deficit with a pair of goals in a 2:17 span midway through the first half. Leoni beat two defenders in the box to score her team-leading fourth goal of the season at 21:03 and later sent a cross to Clayton, which her freshman teammate converted for her second tally of the season. Cargen played the first 45 minutes for Rutgers-Camden and finished with two saves, while Gatti made one save in playing the second half. VOLLEYBALL (2-2 overall/0-0 NJAC) September Sat. 16 Rutgers-Camden 30-30-30, Immaculata University 24-20-18 Upcoming matches Tues. 19* at Richard Stockton College 7 p.m. Thurs. 21* Montclair State University 6 p.m. Sat. 23 Bryn Mawr College 12 p.m. Tues. 26* at William Paterson University 7 p.m. Wed. 27 at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church 7:30 p.m. Sat. 30 at Cabrini College tri-match Kean University vs. Cabrini College 11 a.m. Rutgers-Camden vs. Kean University 1 p.m. Rutgers-Camden vs. Cabrini College 3 p.m. The Rutgers-Camden volleyball team climbed to .500 for the first time in program history as the Scarlet Raptors swept Immaculata University, 30-24, 30-20 and 30-18, in a non-conference match Sept. 16 in Camden. The victory leaves the Raptors with a 2-2 record, marking the first time since the program started in 2000 that Rutgers-Camden has reached .500. Coupled with their previous win over Valley Forge Christian Sept. 5, the Raptors also tied their program-record winning streak at two. The only other time that was accomplished in program history was Oct. 20 and 22, 2005. It was a big day all around for first-year coach Carl Taylor’s team. Rutgers-Camden established program three-game match records for most team kills (41) and most assists (31). The team also barely missed its three-game match records of 22 aces and 18 blocks, falling one short in each category. Rutgers-Camden also set a match record with a team hitting percentage of .337. Leading the way for the Raptors was junior outside hitter Julie Grochowski (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown), who had 13 kills, six digs and two blocks. Freshman middle hitter Marci Polite (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) added 12 kills, four digs and four blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Nikki Cosico (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) notched a team-high 15 digs and freshman setter Julie Lo (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) had 27 assists and 10 digs. Freshman middle hitter Natalie Powell (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) collected eight kills, five digs and a team-high seven service aces. GOLF Sept. 14 WESLEY COLLEGE FALL INVITATIONAL (at Wild Quail Country Club, Wyoming, DE) 1. Wesley A, 297; 2. Franklin & Marshall A, 304; 3. Wesley B, 306; 4. Gettysburg, 307; 5. York, 310; 6. Muhlenberg, 313; 7. West Chester, 314; 8. Wilmington A, 319; 9. Manhattanville and Alvernia, 322; 11. Keystone, 323; 12. Franklin & Marshall B, 324; 13. Villa Julie, 328; 14. Wilmington B, 333; 15. Ursinus, 335; 16. Rutgers-Camden, 347. Did not score: DeSales and Elizabethtown. Individual Medalists: Tyler Smith (Wesley) and Jim LeClair (Gettysburg), 72 Rutgers-Camden Medalist: Matt Tomasic, 79 Rutgers-Camden Scores: Tomasic 79, Mike Nauss 85, Corey McDonough 91, Rob Burgess 92 Upcoming matches September Thurs. 21 Moravian College Fall Golf Invitational 12:30 p.m. (Southmoore Golf Course, Bath, PA) Mon. 25 Lebanon Valley College Fall Golf Tournament 12:30 p.m. (at Lebanon Country Club, Lebanon, PA) Fri. 29 Susquehanna University Fall Golf Classic 1 p.m. (at Edgewood-in-the-Pines, Drums, PA) Rutgers University-Camden senior Matt Tomasic (Berlin, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) shot a round of 79 as the Scarlet Raptors opened their golf season at the Wesley College Fall Invitational on a rainy Sept. 14 at the Par 72 Wild Quail Country Club in Wyoming, Delaware. As a team, the Raptors finished with a 347 score to place 16th out of 18 squads. The event was won by host Wesley College’s A team, which shot a 297. Wesley’s Tyler Smith and Gettysburg’s Jim LeClair each shot an even-par 72, with Smith taking medalist honors on a tie-breaker. The Scarlet Raptors’ sophomore Michael Nauss (Blackwood, NJ/Paul VI) opened his fall season with a round of 85, while freshman Corey McDonough (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast Catholic) shot a 91 and senior Rob Burgess (Sewell, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) shot a 92. CROSS COUNTRY Upcoming meets September Sat. 23 Philadelphia Metro Small College Tournament TBA (at Belmont Plateau, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA) Fri. 29 Paul Short Open Race TBA (at Lehigh University)