NEWARK, N.J. – The Rutgers-Newark women's soccer team continued its unbeaten start to the 2026 season Wednesday night, cruising to a 5-0 victory over Penn State Abington at Frederick Douglass Field.
The Scarlet Raiders improve to 2-0-1 on the season with the win.
Rutgers-Newark opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Vielka Fernandez found the back of the net, giving the Scarlet Raiders an early 1-0 advantage.
Rutgers-Newark doubled its lead in the 16th minute, as Samantha Vieira scored directly off a corner kick to make it 2-0. Just over four minutes later, Skylar Prince added to the Scarlet Raiders' advantage, scoring in the 20th minute to give Rutgers-Newark a 3-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Scarlet Raiders continued to control play after the break, and in the 59th minute, junior Eliza Haghighi found the back of the net off an assist from Keliah Cottrell. The goal made Haghighi's return to the field even more memorable, as Wednesday marked her first appearance since suffering a season-ending injury last year.
Ashley Solarte capped the scoring in the 73rd minute, scoring off an assist from Dana Nunez to give the Scarlet Raiders the 5-0 final.
Rutgers-Newark controlled the match from start to finish, holding a 17-2 advantage in shots and putting 13 attempts on target. The Scarlet Raiders also earned six corner kicks.
Fernandez, Vieira, Prince, Haghighi and Solarte each found the back of the net, while Bach, Cottrell and Nunez each recorded an assist.
Maura Chawner played all 90 minutes in goal, making one save to earn the shutout.
The Scarlet Raiders return to action Saturday, September 12, traveling to Mount Saint Mary College for a 2:30 p.m. matchup as they continue non-conference play.
For the latest news, updates, and information on Rutgers-Newark Athletics, visit rutgersnewarkathletics.com. Fans can also stay up to date by following the Scarlet Raiders on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
