Rutgers-Camden Athletics

Raptor women picked for sixth in NJAC pre-season coaches' poll

8/28/2025 11:04:00 AM

CAMDEN, N.J. (Aug. 28, 2025) – The Rutgers University-Camden women's soccer team is looking to return to familiar territory.
 
After qualifying for the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs for six straight seasons, from 2018-2023, the
Scarlet Raptors barely missed a playoff berth last year while tying for seventh place in the NJAC. This season, Rutgers-Camden should be back in the six-team post-season tournament, which begins November 1, if the opinion of the conference's 10 coaches holds true.
 
Rutgers-Camden has been selected to finish sixth in the NJAC in a pre-season poll of the conference coaches.
 
Rowan University received seven first-place votes to earn the coaches' pick as the pre-season favorite. Defending champion The College of New Jersey was tabbed for second place, receiving the other three first-place votes. Montclair State University was picked for third and Kean University was selected for fourth place and labeled as the NJAC's "dark horse" team. Rounding out the coaches' picks for the post-season tournament were fifth-place Stockton University and sixth-place Rutgers-Camden.
 
Finishing seventh through 10th in the poll, respectively, were New Jersey City University, Rutgers University-Newark, William Paterson University and Ramapo College.
 
The Scarlet Raptors have reason for optimism beginning with the return to health of two senior tri-captains, forward Maresa Savarese and defender McKenna Williams. Savarese, a two-time all-conference player, led the team in scoring during both her freshman and sophomore seasons, before missing the entire 2024 season with an injury. She already ranks among the program's career leaders with 12 goals (tied for 14th) and 29 points (tied for 16th).
 
Williams has been plagued by injuries in her two seasons at Rutgers-Camden, allowing her to appear in only 14 games, all starts. The Raptors' centerback had her 2024 season cut short after four games, but her return to health would be a major boost for the Rutgers-Camden defense, which also returns senior tri-captain Gianna Patitucci. A two-time all-conference player who was named to the NJAC Second Team last year, Patitucci helped the Raptors post six shutouts last season, while adding one goal and two assists for four points.
 
The Scarlet Raptors will be without their top two scorers from last year after a season-ending injury to sophomore forward Asia Horne (a team-leading 11 points on four goals and three assists as a freshman) and the graduation of Josie Jackson-Conner (5-0-10), but return a pair of players who tied for third on the team with nine points: junior forward Brianne Reeves (3-3-9 on her way to NJAC Honorable Mention recognition) and sophomore forward Ava Stowell (4-1-9).
 
Graduation cost the Scarlet Raptors 10 players last season, including three-time all-conference defender Amy Maurer and NJAC Second Team forward Emily Owens. The team also graduated Michaela Graham, who played all but 90 minutes in goal last season while collecting all 19 decisions.
 
Kevin Luber begins his fourth season as the Scarlet Raptors' head coach, coming off a 7-8-4 campaign, including a 2-5-2 mark in NJAC play. His lone returning goalie will be junior Jordana Fredo, who played 90 minutes last season, while freshman Gizelle Lizardi also will be in goal after a fine scholastic career at Brick Memorial High School. Senior Morgan Riley, who started her collegiate career as a goalie, will play up top this season.
 
Lizardi is one of five talented newcomers, including freshman defender Meghan Gorman and freshman winger Talia Thomasson and the junior duo of midfielders Chloe Ludwick and Ana Patino.

The Scarlet Raptors also return nine other players from last season, including senior midfielder Kylie Barber and juniors Sandy Ritter (forward/midfielder) and Samantha Benckert (midfielder/defender). A strong returning sophomore class includes defenders Ashlee Schlagenhaft, who started 13 of her 15 games, and Ava Yates, midfielders Maddy Jacobs and Caitlyn Ortiz, midfielder/forward Rylie Gill and forward Victoria Piteri.
 
Rutgers-Camden opens its season Friday when it hosts Stevenson University at 5 p.m. as part of an opening-day Cialella Soccer Classic doubleheader, which begins with the men's game at 1 p.m.