No. 10/19 Rutgers Blanks Syracuse, 2-0

Thursday, October 15

Piscataway, N.J.

7:00 PM

Rutgers University

Syracuse

Oct 15 | Women's Soccer

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Oct. 15, 2009) – The No. 10/19 Rutgers women’s soccer team blanked Syracuse, 2-0, Thursday night at Yurcak Field. Redshirt junior Karla Schacher (Tofield, Alberta) scored the game-winner for the Scarlet Knights – her first of the season. RU moves to 11-2-3 on the year, 5-1-2 in the BIG EAST, while SU falls to 4-9-3 overall with a 1-6-1 mark in conference play. Through 16 games, the Scarlet Knights have dropped just two contests, which is the lowest amount to this point in the season in program history.

“This team showed a lot of fight tonight,” said associate head coach Mike O’Neill. “We were prepared and we have a lot of faith in these players. Dealing with the conditions, we had to regroup after the first half. We got out on the pitch (in the second half) and got the job done.”

Schacher found the net in the 59^th minute. Redshirt freshman Stefanee Pace (Kearny, N.J.) sent a rocket towards the Syracuse keeper Eliza Bennett-Hattan, who made the kick-save towards the left of the goal. Schacher was right there for the rebound, booting the ball to the bottom right of the goal. The game-winner was her fifth overall tally in 2009.

Redshirt freshman April Price (Mechanicsville, Va.) scored the insurance goal in the 78^th minute of the match. On a breakaway, freshman Maura McLaughlin (West Windsor, N.J.) played the ball to Price on the left side of the goal. Price beat a SU defender and Bennett-Hattan, placing the ball in the right side of the net. The goal was Price’s second of the year. It was McLaughlin’s first point of 2009.

Freshman Maggie Yahn (Sharon, Conn.) earned her first opportunity of the season on a bicycle kick in the 63^rd minute. Bennett-Hattan made an athletic save on the play, punching the ball over the net.

Senior Kristie Lang (East Brunswick, N.J.) had back-to-back opportunities to end the half, but Bennett-Hattan made the save on her first shot and cut off her breakaway 30 seconds later.

The RU defense was dominate once again, not allowing Syracuse to take a shot until the 40^th minute, and not allowing a shot on goal until the 60th minute. Overall, the Scarlet Knights outshot the Orange 12-4, including 8-1 shots on goal.

Rutgers returns to Yurcak Field Saturday, Oct. 17 to take on St. John’s. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

Game Notes

*Senior captain Erin Guthrie earned the 41^st clean sheet of her career to extend her lead as the RU all-time shut out leader. She made one save in the effort. 

*Maura McLaughlin tallied the first point of her career on the assist to April Price.

*This was Price’s second goal of the season. Her first came in the 3-1 win over Marquette.

*Schacher’s game-winner was her first of the season. 

*This was the fourth-straight game for the Syracuse Orange.

*Through 16 games, the Scarlet Knights have never lost just two games.

*The Scarlet Knights sit at second in the BIG EAST National Division with 17 points, just two points behind Notre Dame.