NEWARK, N.J. — The Rutgers-Newark women's soccer team opened New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play in style Wednesday night, earning a 3-1 victory over William Paterson at Frederick Douglass Field.
The Scarlet Raiders improve to 5-1-3 overall and 1-0-0 in NJAC play with the win, while William Paterson falls to 4-4-0 overall and 0-1-0 in conference action.
Rutgers-Newark wasted little time establishing control, scoring twice in just over a minute midway through the first half. Eliza Haghighi opened the scoring in the 20th minute, finding the back of the net at 19:25 off an assist from Vielka Fernandez.
Fernandez then helped double the Scarlet Raiders' advantage less than two minutes later, assisting Samantha Vieira on a goal at 20:57 to put Rutgers-Newark ahead 2-0.
William Paterson got on the board in the 33rd minute when Emerson Garrett scored to cut the deficit to 2-1 heading into halftime.
The Scarlet Raiders responded early in the second half when Fernandez called her own number in the 49th minute to restore Rutgers-Newark's two-goal advantage.
Fernandez finished the night with four points, recording one goal and two assists while putting all three of her shots on target. Haghighi and Vieira each added a goal as three different Scarlet Raiders found the back of the net. Maura Chawner started in goal for Rutgers-Newark and made one save while allowing one goal.
Rutgers-Newark controlled the offensive numbers throughout the match, holding an 11-6 advantage in shots and a 7-2 edge in shots on goal. The Scarlet Raiders also earned five corner kicks compared to two for William Paterson.
The Scarlet Raiders hit the road for their next NJAC matchup, traveling to Montclair State on Saturday, October 3rd.
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.
