Courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
The Roadrunners looked to win their first ECAC Tournament game in eight years when they took on NJAC rival Rutgers-Newark in the first round, but lost by a score of 4-3.
The Scarlet Raiders got on the board first when senior midfielder Sara Corson kicked a penalty shot past Roadrunners goalkeeper Jessica Cusick in the 28th minute of the game, giving Rutgers-Newark the lead after Ramapo committed a foul inside their own 18-yard box on the previous play. This was Corson’s 20th goal of the season.
Three minutes later, freshman midfielder/forward Juliana Ceballos extended Rutgers-Newark’s lead to two goals with Corson providing the assist while crossing the field from left to right for Ceballos’ sixth goal of the season.
The Roadrunners got on the board in the 41st minute of the game when senior captain Autumn Herring kicked one off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net for her second goal of the year on a 20-yard free kick that was straight on.
Then in the 49th minute of the game, freshman defender Skyler Rybacki placed a header into the upper-left corner of the net off a corner kick by freshman forward/midfielder Michaela Knoblock to tie the game at two. Three minutes, junior midfielder/defender Kelsey Sutherland launched a bouncing long ball that was chipped up and into the net by sophomore forward Amber Hermanns to put the Roadrunners up 3-2.
However, everything went downhill for the Roadrunners when Cusick was ejected from the game with a red card in the 76th minute of the game. Marissa Cooney took Cusick’s place as goalkeeper. Unfortunately, that was the opening that Rutgers-Newark needed, as Corson kicked a shot that deflected off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net for her second goal of the game and 21st of the 2015 season in the 83rd minute of the game. Three minutes later in the 86th minute, Corson kicked a shot that was saved by Cooney and then deflected to Ceballos on the left side, and then Ceballos scored on the rebound to put Rutgers-Newark up 4-3 and to seal the game for the Scarlet Raiders.
Nevertheless, the Roadrunners finished the 2015 season with a 9-7-1 record, which is a significant improvement from their 5-10-2 record from last season.
Senior captain Nicole Ninomiya ended her career as a Roadrunner with 29 goals, scoring a career and team high 12 this season.
Herring ended the year leading the lady Roadrunners with six assists.
Cusick finished the 2015 season with 74 saves, good for a .771 save percentage and a goals against average (GAA) of 1.26.
The Roadrunners outscored their opponents 41-20 this season, improving from last year where they outscored opponents 36-32.
pmcguire@ramapo.edu
