Rutgers Men’s Soccer is returning home from its weekend Virginia road trip undefeated after picking up wins against James Madison (0-3) and William & Mary (0-2-1). The Scarlet Knights have a record of 3-0-1 with one game left until the start of Big Ten play.
The first game of the Knights’ Virginia road trip came against James Madison. Rutgers was able to handle the Dukes with ease, dispatching them 4-1. The Knights’ offense put JMU on the back foot as they rattled off 13 shots to the Dukes’ 6. Joschi
Schelb broke open the scoring around the 9-minute mark with an unassisted goal before Amer Lukovic knocked in a second goal for the Knights around the 40-minute mark. JMU would score its only goal of the night in the 46th minute, before Andrew Kitchen would score another goal for Rutgers in the 67th minute with an assist from Schelb. Devon Stopek would close out the scoring with his unassisted goal in the 70th minute.
The Knights’ match against the Tribe was the Josci Schelb show as he knocked in three goals in the first 22 minutes to help Rutgers secure a comfortable 4-1 victory. After Schelb’s early hat trick, Hamilton Howes would score the Tribes only goal of the game before Dan Karsten would score the Knights’ last goal of the match. The match would go scoreless for 36 minutes before time expired.
Again, it was the Knights’ pressure on the net that kept William & Mary in check, with Rutgers recording a total of 17 shots to the Tribes’ 10.
Karstan and Schelb would also record an assist each during their time in Virginia.
Schelb’s hat trick was the first hat trick by a Rutgers player since Jason Wright against FGCU in 2016. It is also the first hat trick by a Big Ten player since 2023.
Goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton had a great weekend, only allowing 2 goals on 11 shots on goal, for a save percentage of 82%.
The last game of Rutgers’ road trip will be at Princeton(0-0) on Friday, September 5, at 7 p.m.
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