WAYNE, N.J. – Despite playing with only ten men for most of the second half, Rutgers-Camden (8-7-4, 2-4-2 NJAC) spoiled Senior Day for the William Paterson men's soccer team (10-4-3, 3-3-2 NJAC) as the Pioneers were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home Saturday.
 
In a match that featured 11 cautions, a Scarlet Raptor was ejected in the 53rd minute after arguing a call with the official, forcing Rutgers-Camden to play man-down the rest of the way. Despite playing with only 10 men, the Scarlet Raptors found a way to put home a goal in the 61st minute to level the scoring for the eventual 1-1 final.
 
Sophomore Darwin Cruz (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) scored the lone goal for the Pioneers, putting home a rebound off of a penalty kick in the 35th minute. After a foul in the box, Cruz's initial shot on the ensuing penalty was stopped by Scarlet Raptor goalkeeper James Brett, but the rebound came right back to Cruz's feet and was deposited into a wide open goal for the game's opening tally.
 
Just seven minutes after the Scarlet Raptor was sent off, the Rutgers-Camden attack broke through when Zach Fox buried a rocket from 25 yards out that banked in off the left post to level the scoring. From there the Rutgers-Camden defense stood tall and Brett stepped up to finish with nine saves, none bigger than one in the 84th minute when senior JP Gonzales (Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech) collected a loose ball near the penalty spot inside the box and fired a shot on goal that Brett deflected off the crossbar and was eventually cleared away by the back line.
 
The Pioneers had chances in both overtime periods, but two shots that found the target were turned away and WP was forced to come away with just one point in the conference standings after the 1-1 draw.
 
Prior to the contest, the Pioneers honored their four seniors: goalkeeper Tim Morris (Stony Point, N.Y./Albertus Magnus), defender Dave Armbruster (Medford, N.J./Shawnee), midfielder Dante Petrocelli (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury), and Gonzales.
 
William Paterson will look to clinch a postseason berth on Wednesday when they battle nationally ranked Rutgers-Newark on the road in their final NJAC matchup of the season beginning at 6:00 p.m.
 
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