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NJAC Tournament Central | Tournament Bracket 
 
NEWARK, N.J. (October 27, 2017) – For the third time in four years, the Rutgers University-Newark women's soccer team has reached the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament. The sixth-seeded Scarlet Raiders will travel to Montclair State University for a first round meeting with the third-seeded Red Hawks Saturday at 1 p.m. Saturday's winner will visit second-seeded Rowan University in a tournament semifinal on Halloween.
 
The Scarlet Raiders punched their ticket to the postseason by way of a 1-0 win at William Paterson University Wednesday night. The R-N triumph coupled with a Stockton University win over Rutgers University-Camden gave the Scarlet Raiders a berth in the six-team tournament.
 
The Red Hawks topped Rutgers-Newark by a 2-0 final on October 21, but the last time these two sides met in the conference tournament (October 31, 2015), the Scarlet Raiders upset a heavily favored and nationally-ranked No. 23 Montclair State team.
 
Rutgers-Newark brings an overall mark of 9-9-1 into Saturday's postseason opener, while MSU boasts a 9-4-4 ledger.
 
Keys to the Game from Rutgers-Newark Head Coach Ariana Ruela:
-We need to be incredibly sharp defensively. We need to take away their space, step to the ball quickly and stay organized at all times.
-Offensively, Montclair State is not going to give us many chances, but we need to stay patient in the attacking third and capitalize on the moments and opportunities we do get.
-Overall, I think tomorrow will be about the team that makes the fewest mistakes, works the hardest and takes advantage of key moments when they present themselves.
 
Rutgers-Newark Stats | Rutgers-Newark Schedule
 
Rutgers-Newark has five players with 12 points or more, led by the 24 of junior Juliana Ceballos who has eight goals and eight assists. Senior Haley Savva has seven goals and three assists, while veteran Nicole Gomez has five markers and five helpers. Sophomore Samantha Richter checks in with 14 points (six goals, two assists) and senior Sabrina Solorzano has 12 points on the back of four scores and four assists.
 
The defensive unit features junior Sunna Baig, sophomore Iné Collins, senior Allyson Daly, sophomore Deirdre Mackin and goalkeeper Diana Carvalho, while the defensive midfield has senior Angelika Barris and freshman Ana Lucia Silveira patrolling the pitch.
 
Rutgers-Newark ranks in the top-half of the NJAC in saves per game, scoring offense and total goals, and Ceballos is tops in the conference in assists. The junior sits sixth in the league in total points as well.
 
MSU Stats | MSU Schedule
 
Montclair State brings a balanced attack of its own with five players posting double-digit scoring numbers. Sophomore Emily Beenders leads the Red Hawks with 10 goals, while freshman Melanie Cunha has eight. MSU goalkeepers Molly Barrow and Phoebe Bledsoe have combined for 77 saves, seven shutouts and a 1.26 goals-against average to date.
 
How they stack up...

Rutgers-Newark	Stat	Montclair State
19	Games Played	17
2.00 GPG	Scoring Offense	2.18 GPG
1.42 GPG	Scoring Defense	1.35 GPG
Plus-.58 GPG	Scoring Margin	Plus-.83 GPG
155 (of 323)	Shots on Goal	135 (of 288)
117 (of 261)	Shots on Goal Against	102 (of 190)
106	Corners	96
71	Corners Against	53

 
Tickets for Saturday's match at the MSU Soccer Park are $5 for general admission and $2 for children, seniors and students.