Rutgers Women's Soccer Heads to Pittsburgh, West Virginia
Sep 22 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Sept. 22, 2011) - The Rutgers women's soccer team (6-3, 1-1) hits the road for two matches against Pitt (1-6-3, 0-1-1) and No. 25/23 West Virginia (6-3, 2-0) this weekend. The Scarlet Knights will face the Panthers Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. and the Mountaineers Sunday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. Sunday's match will be televised on CBS Sports Network with Eric Frede and Tammy Blackburn on the call.
The contest against WVU will mark the fifth time this season RU will face an opponent ranked or receiving votes in the NSCAA Poll. Rutgers last defeated a top-25 rival on the road on Sept. 6, 2009, pulling the upset at No. 13 Penn State, 1-0. This is the first time Rutgers has faced Pitt and West Virginia in the regular season since Oct. 3-5, 2008.
Rutgers split the opening BIG EAST weekend, defeating Villanova 2-1 and falling at Georgetown, 4-1. Maria Gerew (Toms River, N.J.) and Stef Scholz (South Hackensack, N.J.) both recorded their first career goals.
Sophomore Jonelle Filigno (Mississauga, ON, Canada) ranks in the top five of the BIG EAST standings in shots per game (first, 4.8), game-winning goals (second, 3), goals per game (third, 0.86), points per game (third, 1.86), goals (third, 6), shots (third, 34), and points (fourth, 13). Junior netminder Emmy Simpkins (Concord, N.C.) also ranks in the top 10 in many BIG EAST categories, including saves (fifth, 37), shutouts (sixth, 3), save percentage (sixth, .804), saves per game (sixth, 4.1), and goals against average (eighth, 0.98).
RU boasts an 8-2-1 advantage in the all-time series with Pittsburgh. Rutgers has won three-straight in the series, dating back to Oct. 2, 2005. RU also defeated the Panthers 3-0 in the BIG EAST Tournament in 2005.
Pitt maintains a 1-6-3 (0-1-1) record in 2011, led by senior Katelyn Ruhe with five points on a goal and three assists. In net for the Panthers will be senior Kristina Rioux with nine starts on the season. The goalkeeper maintains a 2.07 GAA, allowing 19 goals in 825 minutes. In her ninth season, Sue-Moy Chin is the head coach of Pitt, leading the Panthers to four postseason appearances in the last six years.
West Virginia holds a 9-4-1 record with Rutgers, dating back to 1996. Over the last four meetings, the series is tied 2-2. In each of the last two seasons, the two teams have met in the BIG EAST Quarterfinals. WVU earned a 1-0 win both times, including last year in Morgantown, W. Va. en route to the Mountaineers' BIG EAST Championship run.
Coming into the weekend with a 6-3 record, including a 2-0 mark in BIG EAST play, West Virginia upset No. 8 Marquette, 3-1 Sunday. The Mountaineers are led by senior Blake Miller, with nine points on four goals and one assist. In net for WVU will be sophomore Sara Keane from Mt. Laurel, N.J. The sophomore holds a
1.21 GAA with 26 saves and four shutouts on the season. The only coach in Mountaineer history, Nikki Izzo-Brown has led WVU to a 213-84-32 all-time record, including an 84-39-17 mark in conference action.
