NEWARK, N.J. – A remarkable 2018 season for the Manhattanville College men's soccer team came to a close Sunday, Nov. 11 in the quarterfinals of the
Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Men's Soccer Championship with a 4-2 loss to the host Rutgers University-Newark Scarlet Raiders.
Rutgers-Newark (11-8-1) was the top seed in Pod No. 3, while Manhattanville (13-6) was the third seed. The two teams advanced to Sunday's quarterfinal with wins over Medaille College (Manhattanville) and SUNY Maritime (Rutgers-Newark) on Saturday.
Freshman
Jeancarlo Vasquez (Mount Kisco, N.Y./Fox Lane) scored two second-half goals, giving him a three-goal weekend, but the Scarlet Raiders scored twice in the first half, then answered both of Vasquez's goals in the second half, maintaining a two-goal cushion the majority of the final 45 minutes. Franco Catania recorded a hat trick to lead Rutgers-Newark offensively.
Catania struck in the 17th minute and 30th minute, respectively, pacing the Scarlet Raiders to a 2-0 lead at the half. In the 53rd minute, Vasquez scored his first of the day off an assist from classmate
Nico Diaz (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto), his second helper in as many days and team-leading eighth of the season. After Adonis Scotland added the lone Rutgers goal not scored by Carania, Vasquez again drew the Valiants within one in the 62nd minute, but Catania completed the hat trick in the 69th minute. Manhattanville managed just two more shots, both from Vasquez, the rest of the way, as Rutgers moved on to the ECAC semifinals.
The Valiants end 2018 with 13 wins -- the most by the program since 2011 -- and nine All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom selections – the most by the program ever. 15 different players scored at least one goal this season, including 12 who scored at least two. Six players recorded at least 10 points, the most since 2011.
Junior
Cristian Araujo (Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto) ends the year with four game-winning goals, tied for seventh-most in a single-season in program history. Freshman goalkeeper
Charles Roberts (Brown Mills, N.J./Pemberton Township) with the seventh-best single-season goals against average (1.12) in program history, while his seven shutouts and 11 wins overall tied for the fifth and sixth-most, respectively, in a single season.
