Men Struggle Versus UW
It was a lost week for the men’s soccer team as they dropped two 2-0 decisions, the first on the road against No. 8 Maryland and the second during homecoming weekend against the No. 21 Huskies.
The Scarlet
Knights entered the week riding high, ranked No. 13 in the nation, but after dropping two against the conference’s best two squads, Rutgers fell to 8-4-2 (3-3-1 B1G) on the season. The loss to the Huskies (8-3-2, 5-1-0) drops RU down to sixth place in the Big Ten, where only the top four teams make the postseason tournament this season. Rutgers still has a strong RPI of No. 25 but will need to finish strong to ensure there’s no drama on selection day for the NCAA tournament.
The Knights played the Huskies tight, with both teams taking 13 shots total and five on goal. However, it was Washington who made the most of their opportunities, scoring the first goal early in the 10th minute and the second in the 73rd minute to essentially lock up the victory.
Rutgers had their chances on offense, including a six-to-three advantage on corner kicks, but you can’t win if you don’t score. With only three regular-season games remaining, head coach Jim McElderry needs to find a lineup quickly that can score if the Knights are to have any chance of picking up points in Los Angeles and making the conference tournament.
Next Up
Rutgers will go to the west coast to face UCLA on Friday, Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. ET.
Women Dominate Versus Michigan
The women’s squad was one of the few bright spots during a homecoming weekend of losses across Rutgers Athletics. They came out on Senior Day and put forth one of their better efforts this season, taking down Michigan 3-1. The win ended a five-game losing streak and was the first at home for the women since September 21st against Indiana.
It was a crucial matchup for the Wolverines, who are trying to play their way into the Big Ten tournament, as they are sitting just outside the top ten qualifiers. It was Rutgers, though, who looked to be playing with more urgency, controlling a large portion of play and dominating with a 12-4 shot-on-goal advantage.
Rutgers junior Ashley Baran broke a scoreless tie in the 24th minute on a fastbreak off a feed from Olivia Russomanno. Twelve minutes later, Rutgers’ best offensive threat, Nata Ramirez, drove a low shot from outside the back towards the goal. Wolverines keeper Sophie Homan dove to make the save near the right post, but the ball bounced RU’s way on the afternoon, hitting the turf in front of the outstretched Homan and bouncing over her head for a 2-0 RU advantage.
The Wolverines crept back into the match in the 58th minute, scoring on a fastbreak to make it a one-goal game. Baran would ice the win for the Knights in the 86th minute with a well-lofted ball from downtown over the keeper’s head. Baran’s 4th goal ties Ramirez for the lead on the team, indicative of the team’s struggles in finding offense this season.
The 3-1 victory improves the Knights’ record to 4-7-4 (2-7-1 Big Ten) and drops the Wolvrines to 6-8-3. (3-4-3).
Rutgers goalie Olivia Bodmer made three more saves – all in the second half – bringing her season total to 62. Before the match, Rutgers honored its five seniors – GK Rachel Quigley, who got the start before subbing out for Bodmer, who was also honored, defender Marcia Ojo, and midfielders Allie Post and Nata Ramirez.
Next Up
It’s a wrap for the Scarlet Knights, as they take on Maryland at 1 p.m. in College Park. Rutgers’ streak of 13 consecutive NCAA appearances comes to an end.
