PISCATAWAY, N.J. –  No. 12 Rutgers women's soccer travels to Illinois for two Big Ten matches this weekend. RU will first visit Northwestern on Friday at 8 p.m. ET before facing Illinois on Sunday at 2 p.m.

RUTGERS QUICK KICKS

• Rutgers (7-0-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) opened Big Ten play last Sunday, topping Maryland 2-0 at Yurcak Field.
• The Scarlet Knights have posted eight straight shutouts, as RU is the only NCAA Division I team (men or women) to have not let up a goal this season. The team is first in the nation with a 0.00 GAA and 1.000 shutout percentage.
• Redshirt junior Casey Murphy was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week for her four-save effort in the shutout of the Terrapins. Murphy leads the nation with a 0.00 GAA and ranks second with eight shutouts across 740:00 minutes in net.
• Senior forward Colby Ciarrocca posted her fifth goal of the season, leading the team with 12 points (5g, 2a). Ciarrocca's goal total is tied for third in the league.
• Overall, Rutgers is tied for 13^th in the nation in scoring offense, registering 2.75 goals per game for a total of 22 goals this season.
• Rutgers debuted at No. 7 in the first NCAA RPI rankings of the season. The Scarlet Knights are also ranked in the Top 25 of all three major polls, including No. 11 by TopDrawerSoccer.com and No. 14 by Soccer America.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN

• Northwestern (4-4-1, 1-1-0) split its Big Ten matches on the road last weekend, falling to then-No. 8 Penn State by a score of 3-0 and topping (RV) Ohio State by a margin of 1-0.
• Kayla Sharples leads the team with eight points, including a team high three goals and two assists.
• Marisa Viggiano follows with six points, including two goals and two assists of her own.
• In net, Lauren Clem owns a 1.19 GAA in 830:00 minutes, including 39 saves.  
• The Wildcats faced a common opponent with the Scarlet Knights in Loyola Marymount this season. NU tied with LMU 2-2 in double overtime.

SERIES VS. THE WILDCATS

• The all-time series between the Scarlet Knights and Wildcats is tied at 2-2.
• RU has won the last two meetings, most recently a 1-0 win in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament Semifinals.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS

• Illinois (3-7-0, 0-2-0) dropped a pair of conference matches over the weekend. First UI fell to OSU by a score of 7-0 before taking PSU to double overtime in a 1-0 loss.
• Arianna Veland leads the team with two goals this season.
• Jaelyn Cunningham maintains a 2.05 GAA in 921:05 minutes in net along with a Big Ten leading 57 saves.
• Illinois will host Maryland on Friday before matching up with Rutgers on Sunday.

SERIES VS. THE FIGHTING ILLINI

• Rutgers and Illinois are tied 1-1-1 in the all-time series.
• The teams met last season with the contest ending in a 1-1 draw in double overtime.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (Rutgers Athletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers women's soccer, follow the program on Facebook (Rutgers Women's Soccer), Twitter (@RUWSoccer) and Instagram (@RUWSoccer). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.