Rutgers Men's Soccer 23rd In Final NSCAA National Rankings
Dec 14 | Men's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (December 14, 2011) - Rutgers men's soccer completed one of the most successful campaigns in recent program history, advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights entered the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) rankings at No. 23, while Dan Donigan and the coaching staff were recognized with NSCAA Coach of the Year honors for the NCAA Division I Northeast region.
"It's always great to be recognized for the hard work we put in," said Donigan. "Although the name of the award is Coach of the Year, this is not done without the performance of our players, the support staff and everyone that makes our program what it is. This is not an individual award by any means. This goes to the whole team."
The Scarlet Knights were ranked for the first time this season and first since the 2008 season.
"Having the team ranked in the final national poll is another great accomplishment and reward," said Donigan. "It speaks to how hard our players and coaching staff worked this season and is a nice way to put a cap on the 2011 season."
Rutgers finished the regular season 10-7-4 overall and 6-1-2 in conference action to finish second in the league. RU posted the best turnaround in BIG EAST competition since the league expanded to 16 teams in 2005. The Scarlet Knights had posted just one BIG EAST win in 2010 and four wins total. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 5 UCLA. RU upended fourth-seeded and eighth-ranked Boston College on the road for its first second round win since 2003.
Freshman forward Juan Pablo Correa (Montville, N.J.) was named a NSCAA Second Team All-Northeast Region selection after a stellar rookie season with the Scarlet Knights. Correa delivered on his potential as the highly-touted freshman, developing into the offensive leader for RU. The former high school All-American had a team-best 17 points on six goals and five assists, en route to earning All-BIG EAST Rookie Team honors.
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