Rutgers bounced back from a disappointing match last Thursday against Minnesota, in which two defensive breakdowns led to a 2-1 defeat on the road to the Gophers, as the Knights continued to miss golden opportunities to put the ball into the back of the net.
On Sunday, Rutgers welcomed the Indiana Hoosiers to Yurcak Field on a sun-splashed, cool afternoon. Both squads were in search of a positive result – and the precious three points that come along with it, as they chase the conference leaders and try
to position themselves well for postseason play.
The Scarlet Knights have struggled mightily this season to generate offense so when star Columbia transfer Nata Ramirez scored her team-leading third goal in the 21st minute off a well placed pass in the box from Bayonne freshman Kennedi Cotter, Rutgers had to feel good about their chances at home. Rutgers went on to dominate the first half of play, outshooting the Hoosiers by a margin of 13 to 3, but similar to the 2024 season, had a difficult time mustering shots on goal, with Indiana’s keeper forced to make only three saves.
The Knights came out on the attack in the 2nd half, with junior Ashley Baran handling a beautifully placed free kick from Cotter to score her second goal of the season. A 2-0 Rutgers advantage was too much for Indiana to overcome, as the Knights cruised to a rare victory – their first since August 17th, when they topped Fairfield, 2-nil.
The Knights improve to 3-1-4 (1-1-1) while the Hoosiers drop to 3-4-2 (0-2-1).
Notable
With the win, head coach Mike O’Neill earned his 150th career victory – all patrolling the sidelines for Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights outshot Indiana 18-8, and 6-5 on goal.
The RU defense posted its fifth shutout of the season – led by four saves from Bodmer including three in the second half.
Freshman Kennedi Cotter had two assists, and appears to be the second most dangerous player on the pitch for Rutgers, behind Columbia transfer, Nata Ramirez, illustrating the difficulty the coaching staff has had after last season’s roster turnover to put a successful product on the field.
Next Up
California Dreaming. Rutgers returns to action with a west coast road swing at No. 4 UCLA on Thursday night and at USC on Sunday afternoon, with both matches set to be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network.
