PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 16 Rutgers women's soccer returns home for two Big Ten matchups, first welcoming Minnesota on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. RU then hosts No. 12 Wisconsin on Sunday at 1:04 p.m. The Scarlet Knights and Badgers' matchup will be televised live on Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Glenn Crooks on the call.
Fans are encouraged to wear pink to Sunday's contest as the Scarlet Knights host a Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness. The match will also mark Alumni Day as RU welcomes back former Scarlet Knights.
RUTGERS QUICK KICKS
- Rutgers (8-0-2, 2-0-1 Big Ten) remained unbeaten with a 0-0 double overtime draw at Northwestern and a 2-1 overtime win at Illinois. RU is one of four NCAA Division I women's teams and the only Big Ten squad that is unbeaten.
- With the shutout of NU, RU matched its program-best shutout streak, as the Scarlet Knights also posted nine straight in its historic 2015 season. RU opened the season with a program-record 924:07 straight scoreless minutes of its opponents.
- Freshman forward Nneka Moneme recorded the first goal of her career at Illinois, scoring the game winner in overtime to lift RU to a 2-1 victory.
- Redshirt junior goalkeeper Casey Murphy leads the nation with a 0.095 GAA and 0.968 save percentage and ranks second with nine shutouts, allowing only a single goal and totaling 30 saves this season.
- RU is ranked 22 in the NCAA in scoring offense, averaging 2.40 goals per match.
- Senior forward Colby Ciarrocca leads the team with six goals, ranking third in the Big Ten.
- RU is ranked in all three major polls, including No. 9 by TopDrawerSoccer.com and No. 16 by Soccer America.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
- Minnesota (5-2-3, 1-1-1 Big Ten) tied with Michigan in a 2-2 double-overtime battle on Thursday before topping Michigan State by a score of 7-1 on Sunday.
- Sydney Squires leads the Big Ten with nine goals this season to go with three assists.
- April Bockin is second in the league with a team-best seven assists.
- In net, Kailee Sharp sits at second in the conference with a 0.54 GAA in 661:43 minutes, including 12 saves and four goals allowed.
SERIES VS. THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
- Rutgers owns a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with Minnesota, dating back to 1995.
- The teams last met in the 2016 Big Ten Championship match, when the Gophers edged the Scarlet Knights in a 2-1 thriller.
SCOUTING NO. 12 WISCONSIN
- Wisconsin (8-2-0, 2-1-0 Big Ten) split its contests last weekend, defeating Michigan State 2-1 in overtime and falling to Michigan also 2-1 in overtime.
- UW's most notable win of the year was a 1-0 upset of then-No. 3 Virginia in August.
- Dani Rhodes leads the team with 15 points, including six goals and three assists.
- Caitlyn Clem maintains a 0.92 GAA across 879:08 minutes in net, along with 27 saves.
- Wisconsin will face Maryland on Friday before heading to Yurcak Field.
SERIES VS. THE BADGERS
- Rutgers trails Wisconsin 0-3-1 in the all-time season which began in 1992.
- Most recently, RU was edged 2-1 at UW last season.
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.
