No. 10/19 Rutgers Hosts Syracuse Orange
Oct 14 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Oct. 14, 2009) - With just two regular season home games remaining for the Scarlet Knights, the No. 10/19 Rutgers women's soccer team (10-2-3, 4-1-2 BIG EAST) faces the Syracuse Orange (4-8-3, 1-5-1 BIG EAST) on Thursday, Oct. 15. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The game will be shown on Verizon FiOS1 through tape delay. Ralph Bednarczyk will be calling the play-by-play with Sal Rosamilia on the color. Amanda Balionis will be the sideline reporter. Live stats will also be available at www.scarletknights.com.
The Scarlet Knights maintain a one-point lead over the Georgetown Hoyas for second in the BIG EAST National Division with 14 points. Rutgers boasts a 5-1-2 record on Yurcak Field in 2009, while Syracuse sits at 3-7-2 away from SU Soccer Stadium.
After an emotional overtime win against DePaul and a hard fought loss to then-No. 8/9 Notre Dame, the Rutgers women's soccer remains at No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. The No. 10 NSCAA ranking is the highest in program history. The 2006 squad finished the year at 11th, but RU has never cracked the top ten. The Scarlet Knights ranked tenth last week after moving up three spots from No. 13 in week six.
Rutgers is riding a six-game win streak against Syracuse, dating back to Oct. 3, 2003, when the Scarlet Knights defeated the Orange, 1-0, at SU Soccer Stadium. All-time, RU is 6-4-1 against SU, outscoring the Orange 7-0 since 2003. All but one game (2007) were 1-0 victories.
Last season, Rutgers stood 15th in the nation, second in the BIG EAST National Division as they traveled to Syracuse, N.Y. The Scarlet Knights defeated the Orange on Alicia Hall's goal. Kristie Lang (East Brunswick, N.J.) and Gina DeMaio (Parsippany Hills, N.J.) assisted on the play.
Syracuse is led by freshman Tina Romagnuolo. Romagnuolo has started every game for the Orange this season. She leads the team in goals (6) and points (12). She made her second career game-winning goal against Providence for a 2-1 win in overtime, and was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll last week.
Playing every minute in goal for SU is senior Eliza Bennett-Hattan. She owns a 4-8-3 record with four shutouts on the season. Bennett-Hattan has allowed 22 goals on the year for a 1.38 GAA.
Head coach of the Orange in his second season is Phil Wheddon. A native of Basingstoke, England, Wheddon played professionally in the U.S. and England. Last season, he led SU to five wins at SU Soccer Stadium, the most since 2004. All-time, Wheddon is 10-18-5 at Syracuse.
Senior goalkeeper Erin Guthrie sits atop the BIG EAST in goals against average (.492). The captain also ranks sixth in the NCAA in goals against average. Of the five student-athletes in front of her, four have seen less time in goal. The keeper has allowed just seven goals all season. The netminder has seven shutouts on the season, most notably against then ranked-No. 13 Penn State, the first time the Nittany Lions had been left scoreless in 2009, and BIG EAST foe Georgetown.
Rutgers Women's Soccer vs. Michigan Highlights | 10/19/2025
Thursday, October 23
Rutgers Athletics Launches the Athletic Excellence Fund
Monday, October 06
Rutgers Women's Soccer vs. Fairfield Highlights | 8/17/2025
Monday, August 18
Rutgers Women's Soccer vs. NJIT Highlights | 8/14/2025
Friday, August 15
