PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton (10-0) got its revenge for last season’s second-round NCAA Tournament loss as the No. 18 Tigers defeated Rutgers (7-4-2) 1-0 in a physical match Oct. 8 at Princeton’s Lourie-Love Field.

The Scarlet Knights, who eliminated the Tigers 1-0 from last year’s tournament at Lourie-Love Field, were unable to knock Princeton from the ranks of the unbeaten and untied in Division I, a group which also includes UTEP.

After a scoreless first half, Princeton got its big break when RU committed a foul. Even though Rutgers goalkeeper Christine Caldwell (Wyckoff, NJ) made a leaping save on the free kick, the play resulted in a corner kick for the Tigers. Maura Gallagher sent the corner to the near post and Esemralda Negron headed it in for the only goal of the match.

Caldwell made five saves in the loss (6-4-2) as Rutgers’ two-match winning streak at Princeton was snapped.

Rutgers was rated seventh by both Soccerbuzz and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in the Mid-Atlantic Region this week (Oct. 7). Princeton was rated 18th by the NSCAA, 14th by Soccerbuzz, 15th by SoccerTimes.com and 22nd by Soccer America in the groups’ national polls. The Tigers also were rated second by Soccerbuzz and third by the NSCAA in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Rutgers will return home to play No. 8 Connecticut Friday, Oct. 11, at 7:00 p.m. in a BIG EAST cross-divisional match.

Scoring By Periods:
1 2 Final
Rutgers 0 0 0
Princeton 0 1 1

Scoring Summary:
66:59 PU Esmeralda Negron Maura Gallagher