BOX SCORE

NEWARK, N.J. – Graduate student Joe Strawman (Ringoes, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) scored both goals, including the game winner 2:48 into overtime, as third-seeded William Paterson (13-3-3) defeated sixth-seeded Rutgers-Newark (11-8-2), 2-1, in the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Men's Soccer Tournament Oct. 31.

The Pioneers advance to play in the semifinals at second-seeded Montclair State Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 2:00 p.m.

Just as they did during the teams' regular-season meeting, the Scarlet Raiders scored early, as Ardian Djeka nailed a short header 3:03 into the contest off Nick Kyprianou's free kick from 25 yards out.

Strawman evened the match less than 35 minutes later, cleaning up a driven ball by senior Domenick Candelieri (Pennsauken, N.J./Pennsauken) that the Rutgers-Newark defense could not clear.

WP nearly took the lead with 1:46 remaining in the first half when it was awarded a penalty kick after a hand ball by the Scarlet Raiders in the box, but Anthony Ferrer's (Lake Hiawatha, N.J./Parsippany) attempt sailed well high of the crossbar.

Strawman's fourth goal of the season was the deciding score, as he picked up a loose ball on the left side of the box and fired it off the inside of the right post.

WP's Zach Collins (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) made one save, and Matt Linberg had four for Rutgers-Newark.

Due to a snowstorm on Oct. 29, the match was moved from William Paterson's natural-grass Pioneer Soccer Park to the artificial turf of the Raiders' Alumni Field.