Lady Raptors win second straight game

October 22, 2011

MAHWAH, N.J. (October 22, 2011) – The Rutgers University-Camden women’s soccer team is catching fire at the most opportune time.

The Lady Raptors won their second straight game here Saturday afternoon as they blanked host Ramapo College, 2-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference contest. Not only does the win lift Rutgers-Camden to 2-10-2 overall and 2-4-1 in the NJAC, but it gives the Raptors a real chance of reaching the post-season conference tournament.

With one game remaining, the Raptors sit in the sixth and final spot for the conference playoffs, barely ahead of 2-5-1 William Paterson, which closed out its regular-season NJAC schedule with a win Saturday. Both teams own victories over Ramapo and Rutgers-Newark, while tying each other, 2-2.

Rutgers-Camden closes its regular season Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. game at New Jersey City University. If the Raptors tie or beat the Gothic Knights, they will reach the NJAC playoffs. A win, in fact, would leapfrog Rutgers-Camden over NJCU into fifth place in the final standings.

If the Raptors lose, however, the Pioneers would sneak into the final spot after the two teams tie, based on goal differential in NJAC games.

The only other factor would be if Ramapo wins its last two games against Rowan and Montclair State. The Roadrunners are currently 3-10-2 overall and 1-5 in the NJAC.

The Scarlet Raptors received goals from a pair of freshmen, as Katie Angelosante (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) and Rachel Sindoni (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) both found the net.

Angelosante scored the first game-winning goal of her career at 15:17 when she one-timed a cross from the right side by sophomore captain Sarah Kooistra (Mantua, NJ/Clearview Regional). It was the team-leading third goal of the year for Angelosante, all of them coming in the last four games.

The assist was the team-leading second for Kooistra, who also assisted on Angelosante’s first career goal at Richard Stockton College Oct. 12.

With the Raptors clinging to a one-goal lead, Sindoni gave Rutgers-Camden some insurance with an unassisted tally at 74:29. It was her second goal of the year, both coming in the last three games.

The Raptors’ second straight victory marked their first two-game winning streak since Oct. 14 and 17, 2009, when they beat the same two teams as they did in their current streak – Rutgers-Newark and Ramapo.

Rutgers-Camden sophomore keeper Leighanna Milby (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) collected four saves to earn her second shutout of the season.

Ramapo sophomore goalie Talia Auslin (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) had five saves.

Rutgers-Camden out-shot Ramapo, 11-7. Both teams had one corner kick.