When RCGC's Region XIX champion women's soccer team arrived in Dryden, NY for the start of the NJCAA Division III National Championship Tournament on Nov. 9, their opponents had no idea what to expect.
While they received a No. 6 seed, coach Megan Ruttler's team played at a much higher level, finishing No. 4 overall in the nation following Sunday's 1-1 tie against Delta (MI) in the third place consolation game. Delta earned the No. 3 spot via penalty kicks.
Earlier in the tournament, the Roadrunners upset No. 3 seed Erie CC (NY) by a 2-0 score before losing a national semifinal to eventual champion Brookhaven (TX) by a 3-0 count. RCGC had been behind just 1-0 at halftime.
"We came up here and we beat a higher-seeded team in Erie, and then we played competitively with Brookhaven, which eventually won the national championship," said Ruttler. "We also had a great opportiunity to beat Delta today.
"People didn't know what to make of us when we got here, but we showed we belong. I'm proud of our players."
RCGC finished with an 18-3-1 overall record for the 2017 season, one of the finest campaigns in Ruttler's eight-year career. They entered the tournament with a No. 10 national ranking by the NJCAA, but clearly showed they were good enough to play among the best teams in the country.
"We represented ourselves and the school well," said Ruttler. "I want to thank our players for a great 2017 season."
National Semfinal Results
After winnng their opening round match, the RCGC women's soccer team had no answer for No. 2 seeded Brookhaven College in Friday's national semifinal round during the NJCAA Division III Championships in Dryden, NY.
The Roadrunners were outshot by an 18-1 margin in dropping a 3-0 decision to the Lady Bears and falling into the losers' bracket of the tournament.
Brookhaven received two goals by Deshae Darrell, who had five shots in the game, and one goal by forward Savanna Hernandez. The winners fired a total of 18 shots on RCGC goalkeeper
Jenni DeVault.
The Roadrunners (18-3), meanwhile, had just one shot on goal, coming from
freshman
Megan Lord. They fell behind 1-0 at halftime before the Lady Bears netted two goals in the second half to seal the outcome.
Coach Megan Ruttler's team will now face Delta (MI) in a third place game on Sunday at 12:30 pm. Brookhaven will top-seeded Herkimer Community College (NY) for the national crown, also on Sunday.
Opening Round: RCGC Tops Erie CC (NY)
The first-round jinx has finally been conquered by the RCGC women's soccer team! And in the process the Roadrunners sent an important message to the remaining teams in the NJCAA Division Women's Soccer National Championship Tournament on Thursday -- they are for real!
Sophomore Ashley Engler scored a goal 15 minutes into the game and sophomore Victoria Flynn added a second goal moments later with an assist from freshman Megan Lord to help No. 6 seed RCGC defeat No. 3 Erie County College (NY) 2-0 in the opening round of the D-III National Championship Tournament at Tompkins Cortland Community College's Panther Stadium.
"This win is validation for us -- now we know, and so does everyone else, that we are for real," said head coach Megan Ruttler, who recorded win No. 101 in her eight-year career. "I'm proud of how we played. We really took it to them in the first half, and it set the tone."
The win also marked the Runners' first opening-round triumph in the national tournament since 2012, when they finished as runnerup. "We haven't played well in this tournament for a long-time, so this feels special," Ruttler said.
RCGC will next face No. 2 seed Brookhaven (TX), a 3-0 winner over No. 7 Montgomery (MD), on Friday in a national semifinal match starting at 5:30 p.m. The Roadrunners lost to Brookhaven in last season's national tournament at Ocean County College.
"They are a very athletic and composed team, so we know what to expect," said Ruttler. "Brookhaven will be a very formidable opponent."
The Roadrunners improved to 18-2 overall with the triumph.
In the other quarterfinal games, top-seed Herkimer CC (NY) beat No. 8 Nassau, 4-2, and No. 4 Delta (MI) blanked No. 5 seed Madison (WI) 2-0. Herkimer will square off against Delta at 3 pm Friday in the other national semifinal. The championship game will be played Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 pm.
