Rutgers University
Notre Dame
Rutgers Nearly Upsets No. 11 Notre Dame
Oct 07 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, NJ – In a match that saw both teams earn quality scoring chances, the Rutgers women’s soccer team (4-8-1, 1-5 BIG EAST) fell just short in its upset bid, losing to No. 11 Notre Dame (11-2, 5-1 BIG EAST) 1-0 in overtime Oct. 7 at Yurcak Field.
The Fighting Irish had four corner kicks in the opening minutes of the match, but freshman Nina Montero (Vineland, NJ) cleared the ball off the line after goalkeeper Nora Crawford (McLean, VA) got a piece of an Irish shot, and sophomore Ashley Lunemann (Hillsborough, NJ) later made a save on Christie Shaner’s attempt.
RU had its first chance 17 minutes into the match, when Domenique Esposito (Rivervale, NJ) fed a ball through to Kristen Edmonds (Metuchen, NJ), who broke towards the goal as two Irish defenders tracked her. When she reached the top of the box, Edmonds cut back to shake the defenders, and got a clear look at the goal, but her shot sailed wide of the left post.
Less than two minutes later, Crawford came well out of her goal in an attempt to snuff out a breakaway, but Notre Dame’s Annie Schefter got to the left and sent a shot back across the box. Redshirt sophomore Meghan Ryan (Crofton, MD) came racing back, knocking the ball away to keep the match scoreless.
The Scarlet Knights strung together their best series with less than 20 minutes remaining in the contest when Lunemann sent the ball up the left side to Montero, who crossed it to the center of the box. Freshman Alicia Hall (Port Republic, NJ) ran on to it and let loose a blast, which just nicked the top of the crossbar as it went up and over the goal.
Lunemann came up big for Rutgers again in the final three minutes of the match, turning away Carrie Dew’s shot on a set piece along the end line and to the right of the box. But, the Irish would eventually score midway through the first overtime period, when Brittany Bock fed a ball through the middle of the box and Kerri Hanks connected from eight yards out.
Crawford played her best match of the season in the Rutgers goal, making a career-high seven saves.
“I’m really happy with the way we played,” said sixth-year Rutgers head coach Glenn Crooks. “Our assistant coach, Karina LeBlanc, said it best when she said that we played like a top-10 team tonight. Nora played her best match of the year when we really needed it most. Now she just needs to build off of that. Now, with six BIG EAST matches left, we really need to run the table. But this now makes five matches in a row that we have really played good soccer.”
RU will finish the weekend with a home match against DePaul Sunday, Oct. 9, at 1:00 p.m.
Rutgers 0, No. 11 Notre Dame 1; Overtime
Women’s Soccer BIG EAST Conference Match
Friday, Oct. 9; Yurcak Field; Piscataway, NJ
Notre Dame 0 0 1 1
Rutgers 0 0 0 0
Shots: ND 14, RU 6. Saves: ND 1 (Lauren Karas 1), RU 10 (Nora Crawford 7, Team 3). Fouls: ND 7, RU 8. Corner Kicks: ND 11, RU 2. Offsides: ND 10, RU 1. Cards: ND 0, RU 0.
Team Time Goal Assist
ND 95:33 Kerri Hanks Brittany Bock
