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First Round Recap

NEWARK, N.J. (November 2, 2015) – On Saturday, Rutgers University-Newark earned a win in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women's Soccer Championship Tournament for the first time in program history.
 
Senior Cristina Estremera stepped up and struck an absolutely picture-perfect direct free kick into the upper-left 90 to give the sixth-seeded Scarlet Raiders a 1-0 victory over nationally-ranked No. 23 and third-seeded Montclair State University in the tournament's opening round. The victory was the first-ever win over a nationally-ranked team for Rutgers-Newark with the program getting its first conference tourney win in its second-ever appearance (2014 and 2015).
 
Next up for the Scarlet Raiders will be No. 15 The College of New Jersey Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Ewing at Lions' Stadium. TCNJ is the second seed in the tournament, and the winner of Tuesday's match will take on the winner of top-seeded Rowan University and fifth-seeded Stockton University in the title game. Stockton downed Kean University in the tournament's other first round contest as the No. 1 and No. 2 seed each get byes into the semifinals.
 
On Saturday, Rutgers-Newark was able to snap a four-game losing streak and ended a run in which it was outscored 18-0 over four meetings by Montclair St. After struggling down the stretch, R-N gave Montclair all it could handle in both school's regular-season finale (October 28), ultimately falling, 1-0, but showing big-time improvement and a lot of toughness. In the second meeting in four days, the Scarlet Raiders played well defensively and received the big play they needed from arguably the most consistent player in the program's history – Estremera. The East Brunswick, N.J. native is the only player to be named all-conference in her first three seasons – the NJAC will release its women's soccer all-conference honors Tuesday at 10 a.m.
 
"We struggled a little bit down the stretch, but we played much better against Montclair Wednesday," said Head Women's Soccer Coach Ariana Ruela. "On Saturday, we knew if we left it all on the field and played hard, we would have a chance, and when we got our opportunity, we were able to make the most of it."
 
R-N and TCNJ met earlier this season with the Lions earning a 5-0 victory on their home turf so the Scarlet Raiders will be hungry to avenge that tough loss.
 
"I think we are a different team now," added Ruela. "That's definitely not to take anything away from TCNJ because they are an excellent group, but if we focus on what we do well and execute our game plan, I am confident our team can come out on top."
 
In addition to Estremera and her 26 points (10 goals, six assists), senior Sara Corson (19 goals, two assists) has a league-high 40 points (19 goals, two assists) and eight game-winning markers, and sophomore Nicole Gomez has a team-high seven assists.
 
Goalkeepers Veronika Tueros (one) and Diana Carvalho (five) have helped the Scarlet Raiders to six shutouts this season, and over its last two games, Rutgers-Newark has allowed just one goal against.

R-N Schedule/Results | R-N Stats
 
TCNJ is 11-2-4 overall and ranked 15th nationally. The Lions were 6-1-2 in NJAC play this year, suffering their only defeat in the regular-season finale to top-seeded Rowan, 1-0.
 
TCNJ has allowed just seven goals against all season long while scoring 49 of its own, putting nearly 160 more shots on goal than its opposition. Veteran Elizabeth Thoreson paces the TCNJ offense with 28 points thanks to 11 goals and six assists – both team-highs – while goalkeeper Jessica Weeder has nine individual shutouts in 13 starts, playing a part in 11 total clean sheets.

TCNJ Schedule/Results | TCNJ Stats
 
Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children, and fans unable to make the trip can follow live stats on Tuesday night or follow @ScarletRaiders on twitter for updates.