Not content to build his record against mediocre teams, Oswald is constantly upgrading the Raptors’ rugged schedule to face the top teams in the country. In his 89 games at Rutgers- Camden, Oswald has coached 39 times against nationally-ranked teams (44 percent of their games), leading the Scarlet Raptors to 12 wins and nine ties against that rugged competition. During that span, the Scarlet Raptors are 38-7-5 against unranked opponents.

The Scarlet Raptors’ final 8-9-3 record was deceptive. Out of the club’s nine losses, six of them came against teams that qualified for the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship. Three of those losses came by one goal and four of them came against teams which advanced at least to the NCAA sectionals – the tourney’s Sweet 16. One of those teams, Calvin College, was a national finalist.

Another one of the Raptors’ defeats came in overtime against a team that was ranked nationally during the season – conference foe Richard Stockton College. The schedule also featured a pair of invitationals that were won by two other nationally-ranked teams who qualified for the NCAA tournament, although Rutgers-Camden didn’t face those clubs in their regular-season tournaments.

During Oswald’s first three seasons (2006-08) at Rutgers-Camden, the Raptors were 41-1-3 in games where they held a 1-0 lead. Last fall they went 0-2-1 in the NJAC and 0-3-1 overall after grabbing a 1-0 lead, including late losses to Montclair State, York and Rowan and a tie against William Paterson. Those results alone proved to be the difference between qualifying for post-season play and missing the NJAC playoffs for the first time since the 2003 season. The Raptors tied for sixth in the NJAC in 2009 with William Paterson (11 points apiece) and lost the last conference playoff spot to the Pioneers on a tiebreaker. Out of the six teams that made the NJAC playoffs in 2009, Rutgers-Camden tied two (Paterson and Rutgers-Newark) and lost three games by one goal (against Richard Stockton, four-time NJAC champion Montclair State and NJAC finalist Rowan University). The Raptors needed a win or a tie against Rowan on the final night of the season, but managed neither in a late 2-1 loss to the Profs.

Rutgers-Camden lost five one-goal games during the 2009 season, but the Raptors still managed to produce a huge milestone for Oswald. With their 4-1 victory at New Jersey City University on Oct. 26, the Scarlet Raptors gave Oswald his 50th career victory at Rutgers-Camden. He achieved that milestone in his 88th game with the Raptors (50-24-14), only one game longer than it took George Phillips, who was 50-33-4 after he won his milestone game in 1979.

Oswald became only the third coach to win 50 games at Rutgers-Camden and his winning percentage at his 50th victory (.648) is the highest of the group. Phillips owned a .598 percentage after his 50th victory, while Greg Ogden (50-32-13) was at .595.

By the end of the 2010 season, Oswald should move past Phillips’ Rutgers-Camden total of 57 victories and into second place on the program’s all-time list for coaching victories. Oswald enters the season only 18 victories shy of Ogden’s program record of 68.

During Oswald’s tenure, the Scarlet Raptors have risen from a good regional team to a nationally-recognized and well-respected program. Rutgers-Camden’s dynamic Dutch style of play, team shape, and an attacking-minded brand of possession-oriented soccer have enabled the Raptors to compete against some of the top Division III teams in the nation with confidence and success.

Rutgers-Camden made a dramatic jump into the elite level during the 2008 season when Oswald’s team produced the finest season in program history. The Scarlet Raptors set a club record for wins, achieved their highest NCAA ranking ever and became the first men’s program in school history – in any sport – to qualify for a NCAA Division III tournament.

By the time the Raptors completed their banner campaign, Rutgers-Camden had produced a 16-5-2 record, including a 5-5-2 record against teams appearing in the national rankings. All five defeats came against four NCAA Division III tournament teams. Two of those four teams went to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 or better and two advanced to the NCAA Second Round. Of the four opponents, two finished in the NSCAA national Top 10 and the other two finished in the Top 20.

The Scarlet Raptors spent six weeks in the 2008 NSCAA/adidas national poll, peaking at No. 10 on Sept. 23 for the highest NCAA ranking in program history. They received votes to the final NSCAA/adidas Top 25 poll and also tied for 16th in the final soccerrankings.com chart while sporting one of the highest strength of schedule ratings in the nation. Rutgers-Camden also achieved its highest final Metro Regional ranking in program history from the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Committee, earning a No. 2 spot on Nov. 5.Along the way, the 2008 Scarlet Raptors won championships at the North Carolina Wesleyan Fall Classic and at their own Cialella Soccer Classic. They finished third during the regular season in the powerhouse New Jersey Athletic Conference. They advanced to the NJAC championship game, where they suffered a 1-0 loss to Montclair State University, which was ranked No. 3

nationally. Despite that loss, the Raptors’ success earned them an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, making them the first men’s program in the history of the school to play in any NCAA tournament. The season ended with a 2-0 loss in a downpour at Swarthmore College against a team which finished its season as the country’s 13th-ranked program.

Oswald’s players captured numerous honors in 2008, including three berths on the All-Metro Region teams and four All-NJAC honors. Two Raptors were named the NJAC

Player of the Week and Rutgers-Camden captured six NJAC Rookie of the Week honors. The Raptors also had two players named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Men’s Soccer Academic All-Area Team, with junior Mark Gidjunis earning honors as the team’s Co-Player of the Year. His selection marked the second straight season a Rutgers-Camden athlete was named the Inquirer’s Player of the Year on the Academic All-Area squad, following in the footsteps of Rodney Guishard in 2007.

All that success led Oswald to his second consecutive honor as the Edward C. Cialella Coach of the Year at Rutgers-Camden’s annual athletic awards banquet in May, 2009.

During Oswald’s first two seasons at Rutgers-Camden, his team finished in the NJAC Top 4 during the regular season, reached the NJAC playoffs, won 13 games each year and capped its campaign by winning back-to-back ECAC Metro championships. Those titles made him the only coach in program history to end his year with a post-season victory.

Rutgers-Camden finished the 2006 and 2007 seasons as the No. 6 team in the final NSCAA Metro Region rankings and received votes toward the d3kicks.com national poll both seasons. During the 2008 campaign, the Raptors finished as the No. 4 team in the Metro Region after spending three weeks at a program-high No. 2.

Oswald turned in an outstanding coaching performance during the 2007 season on the way to his first Rutgers-Camden Coach of the Year honor. He led the Raptors to a 13-7-3 record and their second straight ECAC Metro title in the wake of the tragic loss of their top player, Pat Baldiserra. The All-America midfielder was killed in an automobile accident during the summer of 2007, prior to his senior season.

The 2007 Scarlet Raptors posted two wins and three ties against Top 25 teams, while producing four All-NJAC players and four NSCAA Regional All-Americans. They also saw three players named to the 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Men’s Soccer Team including Guishard, who was named as the Player of the Year on the Inquirer’s Academic squad.

Guishard also finished tied for 32nd nationally in assists per game (0.50, with 11 assists in 22 games).

In his first year as the Scarlet Raptors’ head coach, Oswald led Rutgers-Camden to a second-place finish in the NJAC standings, guided his team to a berth in the NJAC tournament and capped the season by winning their first ECAC Division III Men’s Metro Soccer Championship. Rutgers-Camden’s 1-0 victory at New Jersey City University (November 12, 2006) gave the Raptors the first ECAC crown in program history. The victory also helped Rutgers-Camden receive a vote toward the final d3kicks.com Top 25 national poll of the year.

Rutgers-Camden posted a 13-4-6 record in Oswald’s maiden season with the Raptors. His goalies placed 11th nationally in Division III in saves percentage (.884) and 39th in goals-against average (0.70).

Overall, Oswald’s team featured six all-conference players, a pair of Philadelphia Inquirer all-academic stars and Rutgers- Camden’s first NCAA All-American. Baldiserra earned that honor when was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas NCAA Division III All-America Third Team.

Over the summer of 2007, Oswald added another credential to his coaching resume, serving as an assistant coach for the Ocean City Barons’ Premier Development League team. He joined the staff of first-year Barons Head Coach Mike Pellegrino and helped Ocean City reach the Eastern Conference semifinals. He stepped back from coaching with the Barons in 2008, but served as the recruiting coordinator for the squad.

Oswald brought plenty of credentials to his head coaching job at Rutgers-Camden. A standout soccer player at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, he earned All-Catholic honors and added All-Area recognition from the Northeast Times in 1996. He was an integral part in helping the FJHS squad reach the Catholic playoffs after a hiatus through the 1990’s.

Oswald continued his soccer career as a midfielder/forward at Elizabethtown College, where the Blue Jays earned national rankings during all four of his years, including Top 5 rankings during his junior and senior seasons.Elizabethtown played in three straight MAC championship games, winning the 1999 title and earning a trip to the NCAA tournament while posting a 60-17-2 record over Oswald’s four years at Elizabethtown. During his senior year he earned conference Player of the Week, First-Team All-Conference and All-Academic MAC honors. In 53 career games, he notched 15 goals, 18 assists and 48 points at Elizabethtown.

Oswald served three seasons as an assistant coach at Arcadia University from 2003-05, helping the Scarlet Knights achieve Division III Top 25 national rankings each year. Arcadia reached the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship game all three years, winning the PAC title in 2004 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. His mentor, former AU coach Tom Carlin, is now the Head Coach at Villanova University after a brief stop at Northwestern University.

Prior to coaching at Arcadia University, Oswald spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons assisting at Widener University. During his second season at Widener, the Pioneers achieved the highest NSCAA regional ranking in the history of the program and earned their second-ever ECAC post-season berth.

Oswald owns his NSCAA National Diploma, which he passed with distinction. On the club level, Oswald has served as a club coach for the South Jersey Barons (New Jersey), FC Bucks (EPA), PSC Coppa (Pennsylvania), and the Montgomery United Soccer Club (Pennsylvania). He has won seven state championships (outdoor and indoor), a U.S. Club Regional Championship, and earned a Final Four appearance at the 2008 Super Y National Championship with his South Jersey Barons U-17 Black team in Tampa, Florida.

Oswald received his B.S. in Elementary Education from Elizabethtown in 2001 and his Master’s in School Counseling from Widener in 2003.

Oswald lives in West Deptford with his wife Denise and his daughter Karley. He works as a guidance counselor at Ridley (Penn.) Middle School.

Tim Oswald (center, back row) joins the Scarlet Raptors after Rutgers-Camden won the title at the sixth annual Penn Legacy College Play Day in Landisville, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 2010. The Raptors went 2-0-4 and didn’t allow a goal in the 12-team tournament that featured clubs from Divisions II and III.