CAMDEN, N.J. (April 10, 2021) – An outstanding season has become an historic one for the Rutgers University-Camden women's soccer team.
The top-seeded Scarlet Raptors defeated fifth seed Ramapo College, 3-1, here Saturday in the New Jersey Athletic Conference semifinals to advance to the first NJAC championship game in program history. The win also was the first victory ever for the Scarlet Raptors in their seven NJAC playoff games, giving them a post-season conference record of 1-5-1. They are now 1-2 when hosting NJAC playoff games.
Although the Raptors' streak of five consecutive shutouts was broken, Rutgers-Camden improved to 5-0-1 heading into Wednesday's 7 p.m. NJAC championship. The Raptors will host second-seeded Montclair State University, which beat Stockton University, 1-0, in Saturday's other semifinal. Montclair State and Rutgers-Camden played to a 0-0 tie in Camden on March 31.
Although Ramapo (1-2-1) put some pressure on the Scarlet Raptors' defense in the opening half, forcing freshman keeper
Chloe Beasley to make all five of her saves, it was Rutgers-Camden that took a 1-0 lead into halftime. Junior midfielder
Lindsay Hernandez took a long restart from the right side that skimmed off the head of junior
Lauren Calabria and into the net near the left post. It was her first goal of the season.
Rutgers-Camden's season-long shutout string finally ended at 523:31 when Ramapo junior forward Lauren Vladyka scored at 53:31. She was left all alone in the box as a cross from the right side bounced to her after a missed clear by the Raptors in the box.
The Roadrunners barely had time to celebrate the tying goal when Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good. Hernandez whistled a direct kick that was knocked down by Ramapo sophomore keeper Emma Conlan, but sophomore midfielder
Amanda Giordano converted the rebound for her second career goal and first game winner. She put the Raptors ahead, 2-1, at 56:03.
Rutgers-Camden sophomore midfielder
Maggie Horn tacked on the insurance goal at 77:53, sending a long, high shot on goal that the leaping Conlan couldn't haul down as it fell into the goal. It was the second tally of the season for Horn.
Rutgers-Camden held a 15-6 advantage in shots, including an 11-1 margin in the second half. The Raptors also had a 4-0 edge in corner kicks.
Beasley raised her record to 3-0-1 with five saves. Conlan made six saves for the Roadrunners.
