CAMDEN, N.J. (Sept. 3, 2022) – A young and rebuilding Rutgers University-Camden women's soccer team faced quite a challenge in its season opener here Saturday.
 
Kevin Luber, in his first year as the Scarlet Raptors' head coach after four seasons as an assistant, had to rebuild his entire defense in 2022. Rutgers-Camden lost its main starting goalie and its entire quartet of backs from last year. In addition, the Raptors opened their season against a perennially-strong University of Lynchburg team which was coming off a NCAA tournament berth last year and already had one game under its belt.
 
The Scarlet Raptors showed plenty of promise, but it was the Hornets that produced one goal in each half to come away with a 2-0 non-conference victory.
 
Lynchburg (1-0-1) held a 23-6 advantage in shots, while Rutgers-Camden held a slim 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
 
The Hornets scored only 4:36 into the game when freshman forward Mac Joly ran onto the ball 30 yards out and broke in toward the box, where she fired a shot past Raptor sophomore goalie Michaela Graham for her first collegiate tally. Graham had a big day in goal in her first collegiate start, making 10 saves in a fine effort.
 
Lynchburg finally added an insurance goal at 72:17. Sophomore forward Sydney Dombrovskis broke in on goal from the left side, fired a shot that was saved by Graham and scooped up the rebound for her first goal of the year.
 
Rutgers-Camden forced Lynchburg junior goalie Jade Lecklider to make five saves while earning the shutout, including a pair of saves off senior midfielder Lindsay Hernandez. Perhaps the closest the Raptors came to scoring, however, was when a corner kick by Hernandez slipped through Lecklider's fingertips across the goal line before the Hornets' keeper recovered to smother the ball at the far post. That play came in the 57th minute with the Hornets still leading at 1-0.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Wednesday when they host Alvernia University at 7 p.m.