UNION, N.J. (10/17/15) – In what may have been the biggest Kean University men's soccer regular season match in over a decade, freshman Vaughn Cusano scored the golden overtime goal to lift the Cougars to a 2-1 overtime win over Rutgers-Newark on Saturday night.
Click here to see highlights of tonight's victory!
The victory keeps the Cougars in control of their own destiny in the chase for the NJAC regular season championship with three games remaining. Kean owns a 14-2 record and is 5-1 in the NJAC, with the only league blemish a 1-0 double-overtime loss.
Richard Zapata got Kean going nearly single-handedly with a great effort in the ninth minute. The senior stole the ball away from a Scarlet Raider defender and found himself alone on a breakaway. His first volley bounced off the RU keeper, but he got the rebound and put the ball in from a nearly impossible angle for the score.
Kean goalkeeper Chidi Iloka made some great saves in the first period and had accumulated four at the break. He made a total of seven on the night as he earned his 11th victory of the year.
At 30:44, Cusano (pictured left) hit the crossbar for the Cougars in their best scoring opportunity in the remainder of the first half.
With less than three minutes on the first-half scoreboard, Rutgers made a set piece in the offensive third work. A pair of Scarlet Raiders got their heads on it and Adrian Mayorga directed the ball into the goal to make the halftime score 1-1.
The second half was entertaining but ultimately anti-climactic. Neither side could find the game-winner on just six combined shots on goal. Both teams also had two chances where they had a good look at the net but sent the shot high or wide.
In the 96th minute, Alex Noriega took a throw in for Kean. He found the feet of Kevin Olaya, who passed it right back to Noriega. The sophomore defender wound up and sent a long volley into the box aimed at Cusano.
Cusano fought off a defender with his left hand, waited for the pass to take a high hop and, without looking, one-timed the ball into the upper right-hand corner of the cage. The game-winner touched off a huge celebration both on the field and in the stands. It was the only shot of the extra period, and both Noriega and Olaya earned assists on it.
Rutgers-Newark is now 12-4-1 on the season and 4-2-1 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raiders led the game's shot count 20-14.
The Cougars will remain home and continue NJAC play on Wednesday with a match against Rowan University at 7:30 p.m.
