NEWARK, N.J. (October 7, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's soccer team suffered a tough 2-1 loss at the hands of New Jersey Athletic Conference rival Stockton University on Alumni Field today.

The Ospreys improve to 4-8-1 (1-4-0 NJAC) while the Scarlet Raiders drop to 8-6-0 (2-3-0 NJAC).

Rutgers-Newark started strong right out of the gate, applying early pressure to the visitors and keeping the ball in its attacking third. That aggressiveness paid off quickly as senior Haley Savva won the ball off the last defender and found herself one-on-one with the keeper. Savva's initial shot was saved but she made no mistake with the rebound, slotting her strike into the empty net to make it 1-0 just 3:45 into the game.

While the Scarlet Raiders continued to hold possession and generated a larger share of attacking chances, the Ospreys responded in the 24^th minute with a devastating counterattack. Rookie Salena LeDonne used her speed to burst down the left flank after winning the ball in the midfield. She took the ball into the left side of the box and blasted a screamer over the keeper and into the roof of the net to even the contest.

The home side generated a flurry of scoring opportunities with two corners and wing play but shots by sophomore Samantha Richter and junior Juliana Ceballos were both saved as the teams headed into the locker room deadlocked at 1-1.

The second stanza featured even more attacking play from R-N as Richter and senior Sabrina Solorzano racked up three attempts in the first 90 seconds of the period but could not put their shots on frame. In the 55^th minute, Ceballos had one of the best chances for the home team as she launched a curling strike from about yards out, however the goalie made a fantastic save, tipping the ball onto the crossbar and denying the home team the lead.

Despite playing on its heels, Stockton was able to strike again on the counter. In the 64^th minute, freshman Dasey DiElmo skied a long ball from her defensive third towards senior Mairead McKeary. McKeary chased the pass down, beating one defender, and then heading in alone against the keeper. McKeary did not squander the chance, cutting into the center of the box and burying a strike into the right side of the net for the game-winning score.

Only a few minutes later, Ceballos had another attempt at goal, hitting a low and bouncing free kick the forced the netminder into a diving stop. The Scarlet Raiders earned two more corner kicks, sophomore Deirdre Mackin flashed a left-footed strike wide, and Ceballos had a left-footed attempt saved but the home team simply could not find the equalizer.

R-N held a 19-14 advantage in shots including a 10-3 margin in attempts on frame. The home side also had a slight 5-4 edge in corners.

The Scarlet Raiders return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they head to NJAC foe Ramapo for a 3 p.m. contest.