Posted: Nov 09, 2017
The RCGC women's soccer team is ready for action as the NJCAA Division III National Championships kick off Thursday, Nov. 9, at Tompkins Cortland Community College's Panther Stadium in Dryden, NY.
Coach Megan Ruttler's squad, which captured the Region XIX title with a 4-0 whitewashing of Brookdale Community College on Oct. 31 in Berkekley Heights, NJ, has earned the No. 6 seed in the national tournament.
They will square off against No. 3 seed Erie Community College (NY) at 5:30 pm, with the survivor advancing to play the winner of No. 2 Brookhaven (TX) vs. No. 7 Montgomery (MD) on Friday, Nov. 10.
"Right now we are focused soley on winning that opening round game, which we haven't done in recent years," said Ruttler, whose team lost their first two games in last season's national tournament. "We're playing well right now, but we will need to prove ourselves in the national tournament."
The Roadrunners captured the school's seventh Region XIX Championship and in the process handed Coach Megan Ruttler her 100th career victory in what proved to be a memorable afternoon in RCGC Athletics. Ruttler is the winningest women's soccer coach in RCGC history. The Runners, 17-2 overall, are No. 10 in the latest NJCAA Division III National Rankings.
The Roadrunners feature a lineup with many talented offensive and defensive standouts, including freshman Megan Lord (Glassboro) and sophomores Ashley Engler (Williamstown) and Victoria Flynn (Clearview), all of whom have collected more than 40 points each in offensive production. Sophomore Jenni DeVault is one of the nation's top goalkeepers with 12 shutouts and a 16-2 record.
RCGC has advanced to the national finals twice, in 2007 and in 2012. Freshman Madelyn Buchanan (Williamstown), who scored a goal in the Region XIX title game, hopes her team is prepared to advance deep into the tourney once again.
"Our team keeps improving all the time, and we don't always receive the credit we should," said Buchanan. "We hope to show our RCGC pride in the national tournament."