Box score
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey men's soccer team opened New Jersey Athletic Conference play in exciting fashion as a second-half goal by junior Ed Kozic (Raritan, NJ/Immaculata) lifted the Lions to a 1-0 victory over Ramapo College.
Kozic knocked in a side volley from six yards out off a cross driven from right-side end line by junior Michael Recchia (Wayside, NJ/Ocean Township) at the 56:50 mark. Kozic's first tally of the season was all the offense the Lions would need as sophomore goalkeeper Aaron Utman (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) registered his second shutout of the season.
TCNJ defenders handled pressure from a Roadrunner offense that boasted the leading scorer in the country. Sophomore forward Rob Santaniello (Oakland, NJ/Ramapo) entered the game with 10 goals and 24 points in his first six games, but senior Philip Cunha (Milford, NJ/Immaculata) captained a defensive line in front of Utman that would shut down the nation's top offensive catalyst.
Play remained even through the first half with the Lions holding a slight advantage in shot, but an intense final five minutes of the opening period produced three legitimate scoring chances.
Utman made a pair of clutch saves within a three-minute span. When Santaniello got loose in transition, he took a through pass into the box and went in on the Lions keeper one on one. Utman made a sliding save to keep the game scoreless. Moments later, Utman dove to his right to stop a point-blank shot from senior Jim Clementi (Medford Lakes, NJ/Shawnee) and push it wide of the net.
Sophomore Mike Razzoli (Parlin, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) capped off the flurry with a quality scoring chance with 31 seconds remaining. He took a serve from senior Andrew Lampitt (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West), moved past a defender inside the right side of the box, and fired a shot just outside the near post.
Play was back-and-forth in the second half before Kozic broke the ice with a clutch finish.
TCNJ outshot Ramapo 14-10. Utman finished with six saves while Roadrunner goalkeeper Stephen Monoghan (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) made four stops.
The Lions host Richard Stockton College on Wednesday, September 22nd in another conference match-up. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Lions' Stadium.
