Box Score

Glassboro, NJ … The College of New Jersey men's soccer team secured a home game in the 2013 New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs as they defeated Rowan University 2-1 in double overtime in Glassboro, NJ on Wednesday night.

Freshman Sean Etheridge (Oakland, NJ/Ramapo) scored with 2:23 remaining in the second extra period to give the Lions the thrilling victory. Senior Kevin Shaw (Brookside, NJ/West Morris Mendham) also tallied for TCNJ.

The Lions (11-5-2, 6-2-1 NJAC) jumped up to fourth place in the league standings and will host Richard Stockton College at 11 a.m. this Saturday in TCNJ's Soccer Complex. The Ospreys dropped a 3-1 decision to Rutgers-Newark at home. The Scarlet Raiders will host William Paterson University, while Rutgers University-Camden and Montclair State University receive a first-round bye.

The loss ended the season for the Profs as they finished with a 3-6 mark in the conference and 10-9 overall.

Etheridge took a cross from junior Kevin McCartney (Old Bridge, NJ/St. Joseph's) and ripped a shot in the box that beat the goalkeeper for his sixth winner of the season. It is also the second time this season Etheridge won a game in double-overtime.

The assist was the fifth of the season for McCartney.

Each team entered the game with plenty at stake. The Lions, who had already clinched a playoff spot, needed a victory to host a first-round game. The Profs were fighting for one more day as William Paterson defeated Kean earlier in the evening to gain three points. A win by Rowan put them in the post-season, while anything less would make it their final game of the season.

The first half marked 45 minutes of scoreless play. The Profs held a slight edge in shots 6-5 as both net-minders were forced to make three saves in net.

With 27:37 remaining in the game, Shaw broke the deadlock. The senior forward took a feed from sophomore Matthew Ziegler (East Brunswick, NJ/Milford) and deposited his 19^th goal of the season. It was the second assist of the year for Ziegler.

Trailing 1-0, the Profs scrapped in front of the net to gain the equalizer with just under 11 minutes remaining. Vinny Ignatowicz knocked in a loose ball in front following a corner kick to tie it up 1-1.

The Lions had a chance in the final minute of regulation when senior Sean Casey (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) got off a shot with 20 seconds left that was saved by Ryan Gill. Casey collected the rebound, but his shot was blocked and the contest moved to extra periods.

Neither team was able to convert in the first overtime period. But the late heroics by Etheridge gave TCNJ a home playoff game. Had they tied, the match would have been at Stockton in Galloway, NJ.

Senior Aaron Utman (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) finished with eight saves in the game and earned his ninth win. Gill had six saves for Rowan as the shots were equal at 17 apiece.

Saturday will mark the first home playoff game since the 2010 championship final for TCNJ was played in Lions' Stadium.