The Rutgers University-Newark men’s soccer team secured its place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference semifinals in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, defeating SUNY New Paltz 3-2 in overtime at Frederick Douglass Field.
Augusto Vieira delivered the game-winner in the 99th minute, finishing a pass from Michael Reis to lift the Scarlet Raiders past the Hawks. The victory improves Rutgers-Newark’s record to 9-3-5 on the season and sets up a postseason clash.
Building a Lead and Staving Off a Late Surge
The Scarlet Raiders established control early in the match, building a 2-0 advantage before halftime. Ali Celik broke the scoreless tie in the 16th minute by converting a setup from Chihiro Suenaga. Ian Brown extended the lead in the 37th minute, taking an assist from Noah Russon to put the hosts in command.
New Paltz mounted a comeback in the second half. The visitors cut the deficit to one in the 68th minute, then capitalized when an own goal with just 33 seconds remaining in regulation leveled the score at 2-2 and forced the match into overtime.
Vieira Scores Decisive Goal to Secure Overtime Victory
Rutgers-Newark regained its footing in the extra session, with Vieira striking the decisive blow in the 99th minute off Reis’s helper. Vieira finished the match leading the Scarlet Raiders with three shots.
Goalkeeper David Bejarano anchored the defense by playing the full 98:05, recording one save to secure the win. Celik and Brown chipped in their goals, while Reis, Russon, and Suenaga contributed assists.
The Scarlet Raiders will now hit the road to face top-seeded Montclair State on Tuesday, November 3, at 7 p.m. A spot in the NJAC Championship hangs in the balance.
