The Ramapo college women’s soccer team took on two tough New Jersey Athletic Confrence (NJAC) opponents, facing Montclair State University on Oct. 23 and Rowan University on Oct. 26. The two matches were the final home games of the season. The week also held special meaning for the team, as the Rowan game was also Senior Day, which honored the team’s sole senior, defender Emily Dustman, for her dedication and leadership.
The Roadrunners battled against Montclair State, but fell 0-2 in a hard-fought match. The Red Hawks took an early lead in the first half when Niki Danz scored her third goal of the season off a free kick from Tara Lambert. In the second half, Kylie Prendergast also posted her third goal of the season as Montclair State was awarded a penalty kick in the 63rd minute.
Sophomore Gabriela Matias, Ramapo’s goalkeeper, had a standout performance, collecting ten saves across Montclair’s 12 shots on goal. Ramapo managed three shots on goal and one corner kick but ultimately couldn’t break through Montclair’s defensive efforts.
In their final home game, the Roadrunners went up against Rowan University, one of the NJAC’s top-ranked teams, who left with an 8-0 victory to maintain their undefeated conference record. Despite the result, the day was meaningful as it celebrated Emily Dustman, the team’s senior defender. Emily’s friends, family and teammates honored her during the match, highlighting her role on the field.
Profs were led by standout performances from Mackenzie Clement, who posted two goals and three assists, earning seven points in the game. Clement opened the scoring for Rowan and assisted on the next three goals, helping Olivia Giordano and Sara Wiedeman push the Profs lead to 3-0. Simone Pacetti added to Rowan’s momentum, scoring her fifth goal of the season off Clement’s assist, sending the Profs into halftime with a 4-0 lead.
In the second half, Clement continued to dominate, netting her 14th goal of the season with an assist from Oliveto. Giordano, Wiedeman and Pacetti each added to the score, solidifying Rowan’s lead at 8-0. The Profs fired off 16 shots on goal and earned four corner kicks, keeping pressure on Ramapo’s defense.
Matias made seven crucial saves in her 66 minutes, with Bella Hudson adding another in the final minutes. Rowan’s goalkeepers, Calista Burke and Gemma Keesler, combined to maintain the shutout, with Burke making one save in the first half and Keesler adding two in the second.
The back-to-back conference games impacted Ramapo’s record, now 3-12-1 overall and 0-8 in the NJAC. Montclair, currently at 4-2-1 in the conference, is in a strong position, while Rowan remains undefeated at the top of the standings with an 8-0 record.
Despite the tough season, Ramapo’s players, including defensive anchor Matias, continue to demonstrate dedication and growth. Matias records several crucial saves each game, showing resilience against some of the NJAC’s strongest teams.
lkelyman@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Peter Bonilla
