HEARTBREAK AGAINST HOUSTON
likelihood his final game with 14 points. Montez Mathis added 10 off the bench and Jacob Young had nine.
Quentin Grimes scored a game-high 22 points for Houston and DeJon Jarreau battled through a hip injury to finish with 17.
Grimes hit a straightaway 3 with 2:39 left after he grabbed his own rebound off a missed free throws to cut Rutgers’ lead to three. Baker scored on the Scarlet Knights’ next trip, but they were held scoreless for the final 2:05.
Real Central New Jersey will make its USL League Two debut on May 12 when it hosts its inaugural game against Ocean City Nor’Easters at Mercer County College.
In total, RCNJ is scheduled to play 14 games — seven home; seven away — during a regular season that runs from May 12 to July 10.
“We’re thrilled to be preparing for our first season as a club,” said men’s General Manager Ira Jersey. “It’s exciting to think that our club might be the first event many families attend post-COVID. But we’ll follow all the state and local protocols to keep the environment safe as well as fun.”
USL League Two clubs make up the fourth tier in the American soccer pyramid. RCNJ is in the Mid-Atlantic
Division, which also includes Ocean City Nor’Easters, West Chester United, Philadelphia Lone Star FC, Lehigh Valley United, Evergreen FC and last year’s national runnerup Reading United.
“We’re in one of the league’s more competitive divisions,” head coach Patrick Snyder said. “We’ll face strong clubs with rich histories in the sport. But we’ve put together an exciting squad made up of some great local talent, including some guys I’ve watched for years.”
The top two teams in the division face off against others in the Eastern Conference for the league playoffs in late July. The single-elimination knockout tournament then culminates in the national championship match on July 31.
For more information about ticket availability and attendance policies, visit the club’s website realcentralnj. soccer.