CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 25, 2025) – After missing the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs last season for the first time since 2017, the Rutgers University-Camden women's soccer team was on a mission to return to post-season play in 2025.
 
Early in the season, it was uncertain that mission would be successful as the Scarlet Raptors went 0-2-1 in their first three conference games and 1-3-1 in the first five. Since then, however, Rutgers-Camden has been on a roll and that momentum carried the Scarlet Raptors to a 1-0 victory over Kean University here Saturday, vaulting the team into a spot for the six-team playoffs with one regular-season game remaining.
 
The worst the Scarlet Raptors could finish is a three-way tie for fifth place at 11 points with New Jersey City and Rutgers-Newark, but a round-robin head-to-head tie-breaker between those teams would leave both Newark (1-0-1 between the teams) and Camden (0-0-2) in the last two spots with NJCU out (0-1-1).
 
The victory lifts Rutgers-Camden to 4-6-7 overall and 3-3-2 in the NJAC, leaving the Scarlet Raptors sitting in fourth place in the conference with one game remaining in the regular season. The Raptors, who play at NJAC-leading Montclair State University in a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday, can finish anywhere from fourth through sixth in the conference.
 
With 11 points, the Scarlet Raptors lead fifth-place Stockton (9 points) and the tie between sixth-place teams New Jersey City and Rutgers-Newark (8 points apiece) in the bid to qualify for the six-team playoffs, which start Saturday, November 4.
 
Kean, which falls to 7-7-2 overall and 2-5-1 in the NJAC (7 points) would have to beat Stockton and get a loss by either NJCU or Rutgers-Newark Wednesday to reach the NJAC playoffs.
 
Although Kean leads its all-time series with Rutgers-Camden, 14-8-6, the Scarlet Raptors have had the best of the results lately, going 6-0-3 since the Cougars' last win in 2016. Rutgers-Camden continued that dominance Saturday, holding a 28-9 advantage in shots and an 8-3 margin in corner kicks.
 
Although the Scarlet Raptors held an 11-2 lead in shots during the first half, the teams played to a scoreless draw over the opening 45 minutes. Shortly after the second half started, however, Rutgers-Camden scored the only goal it needed following a Kean foul just shy of midfield. Senior back Gianna Patitucci took the restart and ripped a long shot into the box, that bounced in front of Cougar senior goalie Madison Gesualdo and bounded over her head and under the crossbar at 49:36. It was Patitucci's first goal of the season and her first career game-winning goal.
 
Patitucci and the Scarlet Raptor defense, meanwhile, recorded their eighth shutout of the season, with freshman goalkeeper Giselle Lizardi making three saves.