Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State women's soccer team begins its quest for a conference championship on Saturday when the Red Hawks face Rutgers-Camden in the first round of the 2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Scarlet Raptors and fifth-seeded Red Hawks (9-3-5) battle at Rutgers Community Park with kickoff set for 3:30 pm. The winner advances to Wednesday's semifinal against No. 1 seed The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

Second meeting of the season between the teams who battled to a 1-1 draw in Camden back on September 15. MICHAELA KNOBLOCK sprung EMILY BEENDERS down the left side before the latter angled in the goal giving MSU a 1-0 lead at the 75:52 mark. That would be short-lived as the Raptors pressured forcing a corner kick. Sarah Zuzulock dropped her serve into the box where freshman Ava Pizzaro finished off the feed knotting the contest at 1-1 with 10:57 remaining.

Both teams had scoring chances in overtime, with Natalie Eberhardt making four saves, including rushing out of the box near the final horn to stuff a point-blank shot by Beenders. Eberhardt posted four saves while LINDSAY FREEWALT had four for the Red Hawks.

Rutgers-Camden brings an 8-7-2 overall record into its post-season run, the first winning regular-season record for the team since the 2007 club went 10-6-4 prior to the playoffs, the program's last NJAC Tournament appearance. It will also be just the second time Rutgers-Camden will host a tournament contest with the last one coming in 2003. The Scarlet Raptors posted a 5-2-2 mark in NJAC play, tying the program's best conference record ever, set by the 2003 team, which also went 5-2-2 in the NJAC. The 2005 Scarlet Raptors also won five conference games, going 5-4.

Meghan Wachira, ranked fifth in league in scoring, leads the Raptors in scoring with 22 points, including nine goals in addition to scoring the game-winner in five of Rutgers-Camden's eight wins this year. Pizzaro is next at six goals and 15 points. Eberhardt has been solid between the posts with 1.24 goals against average and 86 saves. She had recorded four shutouts.

Montclair State comes into the first-round game off back-to-back draws. The Red Hawks finished in a 1-1 deadlock against Kean on Wednesday. The followed a scoreless tie at No. 6 TCNJ on October 20. MSU ranked fourth in conference in scoring at 2.19 goals per game and is one spot higher on the defensive side allowing 0.69 per contest.

Beenders ranks third in the NJAC in scoring with 26 points. Beenders has 11 goals which is fourth-best in the league. MICHAELA KNOBLOCK is next 12 points including an NJAC-best eight assists on the season. Freshman MADISON MARTINO is also in double digits at 12 points on five goals and two assists. Freewalt has registered six shutouts and is fourth in the conference with a 0.79 goals against average stopping 75 shots.

Saturday's meeting will be the 22^nd between the Scarlet Raptors and Red Hawks in a series that has been all Montclair State to this point. MSU is 19-0-2 since 1999 and won 13 straight until the 1-1 draw back in September nearly 16 years to the day of the other tie, 0-0 on September 2002 in Camden. It will be the second NJAC Tournament matchup with the Red Hawks posting a 3-1 victory at home in the first round on its way to capturing the 2004 championship, the program's first.

Montclair State is making 19^th appearance in the NJAC Women's Soccer Championship since its inception in 1999. The Red Hawks are 9-11-12 all-time including 8-4 in penalty kicks. MSU has claimed three championships in 2004, 2012 and 2014 while reaching the championship game eight times. Last season, Montclair defeated Rutgers-Newark in the first round and advanced in kicks against Rowan in the semifinals before falling 1-0 at TCNJ in the championship contest.