CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2019) – The Rutgers University-Camden women's soccer team entered action here Saturday knowing it was a key New Jersey Athletic Conference game and a Senior Day celebration for departing players
Taylor O'Rourke, Meghan Wachira and Sarah Zuzulock.
 
By the end of the afternoon, it was William Paterson University celebrating a NJAC victory as a pair of second-half goals by junior midfielder Danielle Dachowski helped the Pioneers rally for a 2-1 victory.
 
Paterson improves to 7-7-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the NJAC and now sit two points behind Rutgers-Camden in the race for the six-team playoffs. Paterson closes the NJAC regular-season Wednesday night, hosting Ramapo College, which is 0-6-2 in the conference.
 
Rutgers-Camden, which entered the contest sitting in fourth place in the NJAC and staring at a possible first-round home playoff game, tumbled to 4-4 in the NJAC, dropping to fifth place, pending the results of Saturday night's Kean at Rutgers-Newark game. If the Cougars win that game, the Raptors will find themselves in a tenuous sixth-place spot heading into the final game of the regular season on Wednesday night, when they have to travel to third-place Stockton University (5-1-2 in the NJAC).
 
Rutgers-Camden fell to 5-11 overall as Paterson increased its lead in the all-time series, 10-6-4.
 
During the scoreless first half, neither team generated many dangerous chances despite the Raptors holding a 7-2 edge in shots and the Pioneers collecting a 5-2 corner kick advantage. Early in the second half, however, Rutgers-Camden broke the deadlock in the 49th minute. Freshman midfielder Maggie Horn drilled a 25-yard shot from outside the box on the left side, angling a perfect strike into the upper right corner for her third goal of the season.
 
The Scarlet Raptors' euphoria didn't last long. Only 2:20 later, Paterson tied the game on Dachowski's first goal of the game and fourth of the season. Freshman back Kayla Miller directed a long restart into the left side of the box and Dachowski, at full sprint, timed the play perfectly, burying a header into the left side of the goal.
 
Dachowski added the winning goal four minutes later, tucking a shot from the top of the box inside the left post off a corner kick by senior back Ashley Cozzi.
 
The Pioneers nearly added an insurance goal with 21 minutes remaining, but Raptor sophomore keeper Natalie Eberhardt made a superb save off the Pioneers' Samantha Persaud. The Scarlet Raptors were able to clear the ball before it bounded across the goal line.
 
Rutgers-Camden finished with a 14-10 advantage in shots, although Paterson held an 8-7 edge in the second half. The Pioneers also held an 11-4 margin in corner kicks, including a 6-2 lead after halftime.
 
Eberhardt finished with three saves. Paterson junior keeper Erica Hickey also had three saves.