Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 21, 2017) – With the regular season winding down and every New Jersey Athletic Conference team still in contention for one of the six post-season berths, Saturday's NJAC games took on increased importance and a playoff atmosphere.
 
Just when it appeared that the Rutgers University-Camden and William Paterson University women's soccer teams would settle for a hard-fought tie, the Scarlet Raptors pulled a magical moment out of their hat to cap off a fitting Senior Day celebration.
 
Freshman forward Meghan Wachira (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North) scored her second goal of the game with 44 seconds left in the second overtime, set up by the second assist of the game by junior midfielder Melissa Peel (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology), to lift the Raptors to a stunning 2-1 victory over the Pioneers.
 
Not only was the win the first for the Scarlet Raptors against the Pioneers since Oct. 13, 2007, but more importantly, it put Rutgers-Camden in the driver's seat for its first NJAC playoff berth since that same 2007 season. Rutgers-Camden improves to 7-8 overall and 3-5 in the NJAC, leapfrogging William Paterson (9-7-1 overall, 2-5-1 NJAC).
 
The Scarlet Raptors are now tied for fifth place in the conference standings heading into their last game of the season, Wednesday night at Stockton University, which also sports a 3-5 record. If Rutgers-Newark wins later Saturday night against Montclair State, it also would have a 3-5 mark. If the Raptors can win at Stockton, they would reach the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Senior Day photo gallery
 
On a warm day when the Scarlet Raptors honored departing players Sarah Boucot (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI), Kaitlyn Ennis (Columbus, NJ/Northern Burlington), Rachel Fanrak (Pennsauken, NJ/Paul VI), Katie Gurba (Westampton, NJ/Holy Cross), Cassidy McSorley (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) and Maggie Sande (Medford, NJ/Shawnee), the Raptors completed their celebration less than a minute before the game ended in a 1-1 deadlock. Peel, who played an outstanding game in the midfield, sent a through ball into the box for Wachira, who beat Paterson senior keeper Angela Sandelli (Landing, NJ/Roxbury) to the ball to tap in her 13th goal of the season. It was her seventh game-winning goal of the year, extending her own program record.
 
Paterson, which had been 6-0-3 against Rutgers-Camden in its last nine games and now holds a 9-5-4 lead in the all-time series, scored the lone goal of the opening half after an inadvertent trip in the box gave the Pioneers a penalty kick. Sophomore midfielder Lorraine Moffitt (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) took the kick at 33:27 and tucked it inside the right post for her fifth goal of the season.
 
Rutgers-Camden tied the game only 3:05 into the second half. Peel sent a pass down the left wing for McSorley, who crossed the ball into the box, where Wachira finished off the play. The two assists on the day gave Peel, pictured above, a team-leading seven, while McSorley notched her third assist.
 
With the warm day and hot turf wearing on both teams, the game appeared to be headed for a tie before the Raptors struck in the final moments. Wachira's goal was Rutgers-Camden's lone shot in overtime.
 
Paterson finished with a 19-12 advantage in shots, including a 4-1 margin in the 20 minutes of overtime. Gurba made 11 saves in the Raptor net, while smothering a few more dangerous balls. Sandelli made four saves for the Pioneers, who also were aided by a backsave.
 
Rutgers-Camden held an 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, with Peel sending several dangerous corners into the box.