WSOC 2014 Season Review
Nov 26 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - It was a season that was historic in more ways than one, from joining the Big Ten Conference to achieving the highest ranking in program history. The Rutgers women's soccer team completed the 2014 campaign in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, along the way reaching a number of milestones and continuing the program's standard of excellence.
"This whole year was history," said head coach Mike O'Neill, who completed his first season as head coach in 2014. "It was our first year in the Big Ten, there were a lot of new journeys, and these new journeys weren't only on the field. They were in the travel, the team spirit, and all the laughs along the way. That's the best part about sports - the journey. It's not just about the games, it's about everything else that goes with it."
The Scarlet Knights (13-6-1, 8-4-1 Big Ten) wrapped up their first B1G season with a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament as one of three teams from the conference to qualify. The 13-win season was also the third-straight for the program, which has enjoyed consistent success over the past 15 years.
Maintaining the program's standard of excellence, five players ended the year honored by the Big Ten Conference for their performance and character. Junior defender Brianne Reed (Tinton Falls, N.J.) was named First Team All-Big Ten, while classmates Erica Skroski (Galloway, N.J.) and Hayley Katkowski (Westford, Mass.) were selected to the Second Team. Freshman goalkeeper Casey Murphy picked up All-Freshman honors.
Off the field, the league honored redshirt junior Amanda DeVolk (Frisco, Texas) as the team's Sportsmanship Award winner.
"I have one of the greatest staffs in the country," O'Neill said of associate head coach Meg Ryan, assistant coach Lubos Ancin, volunteer assistant Tricia DiPaolo and volunteer director of operations Rich Alberto. "They work extremely hard and I learn from them every day. We also learn from each other and from the players. From day one to the very end we all worked very well together."
Preseason
The Scarlet Knights clicked from the early going in 2014, posting a pair of four-goal exhibition efforts against West Virginia and Villanova at Yurcak Field. With those two wins, RU rolled into its nonconference slate with the mentality and confidence that would lead the program to new heights.
"In the preseason we played good soccer against good teams and scored a lot of goals," O'Neill said. "I think that built a lot of their confidence in the way that we wanted to play."
Nonconference Schedule
RU's nonconference slate featured three regional foes and the first ever meeting with SEC program Vanderbilt. Back-to-back three-goal wins against Stony Brook (Aug. 22) and Vanderbilt (Aug. 24) got things going for the Scarlet Knights, as they improved to 22-5-4 all-time on opening night with their win over the Seawolves.
Sophomore forward Madison Tiernan (Voorhees, N.J.) posted the first two-goal effort of her career in the squad's first win, also marking the second consecutive season she scored on opening night. Not to be outdone, senior midfielder Amy Pietrangelo (Laval, Quebec) scored two goals against the Commodores in a career day, bumping RU to 2-0.
Wins against in-state rivals Seton Hall (Aug. 29) and Princeton (Sept. 5) capped the 4-0 start to the year for the Scarlet Knights. RU exploded against the Tigers in a 5-0 road win, as four players combined for the goal total.
That win improved O'Neill to a 7-0-0 start to his head coaching career - including three wins accumulated as associate head coach - giving him the best start to a head coaching career in program history.
RU's five-goal performance against the Tigers was its sixth against an opponent since 2006 and marked the second in a row for Rutgers against its Ivy League rival.
Conference Schedule
Despite the unknown of entering a new league and new challenges, RU defied Big Ten expectations. Picked to finish tied for eighth with Iowa in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Scarlet Knights put together an 8-4-1 league season that included wins over three ranked opponents.
That success allowed Rutgers to secure the No. 4 seed in the 2014 Big Ten Conference Tournament.
"The fact that we were picked to finish tied for eighth and we finished fourth - we were very proud of that. But the goal of this program is to compete for a Big Ten conference championship every year," O'Neill said.
Along the way, the Scarlet Knights gained more and more national recognition, eventually climbing to the No. 7 spot in the nation by Soccer America - the highest in program history.
Yet it was a 2-0 loss in the team's first-ever Big Ten match at Maryland on Sept. 12 that sparked one of the program's best runs in recent memory.
"To start our conference play going down to Maryland, we learned a lot about ourselves," O'Neill said. "We learned that we were a very good team and I think the most valuable lesson of the year was that we have to respect teams but not fear anyone. I think coming home from that game against Maryland was a big step for us."
What followed RU's first loss of the season was an eight-match unbeaten streak (7-0-1) that included big moment after big moment.
The run began with a 1-0 win over Michigan State (Sept. 19) in the team's first Big Ten Conference victory. Junior midfielder Sam Valliant (Markham, Ontario) played the role of hero in the victory, connecting on a 20-yard free kick from the left of the box to beat the Spartan goalkeeper in the 89th minute.
RU secured its first win over a ranked opponent in its next match, defeating No. RV/21 Michigan in front of a national audience in its first BTN contest. The defense dominated by allowing just seven shots in the contest and none near Murphy, as the Scarlet Knights held the Wolverines without a shot on goal.
The backline continued its strong play over the next five contests, allowing just three shots on goal four times amid a 3-0-1 stretch. The Scarlet Knights earned their lone draw of the year with a 1-1 stalemate at Nebraska (Sept. 25), carrying the squad to a 1-0 victory at No. RV/13 Iowa on the road (Sept. 28).
The win over the Hawkeyes kick-started arguably the squad's best four-match leg of the year. Murphy collected her first of four-straight clean sheets en route to consecutive Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 6 and Oct. 13.
That streak ran through RU's match on the road at No. 6/7 Penn State on Oct. 11, when the Scarlet Knights dropped their first top-10 opponent since the 2008 season in 1-0 contest.
Tiernan's game-winner against the Nittany Lions earned her Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week recognition on Oct. 13, and completed RU's ascension to No. 7 in the country.
"We talked so much about being humble and hungry and making sure it was always about the team, and along the way we climbed to No. 7 in the country," O'Neill said. "The confidence and quality of their play and the fun they were having was enjoyable to watch for the coaching staff.
"I believe that the formula works - that you can be successful, work hard and enjoy yourself. That's exactly what they did. We were 30 strong and that's what we talked about from day one."
From RU's draw at Nebraska to the 20th minute of the squad's win over Illinois at Yurcak Field (Oct. 17), the backline of Reed, Skroski, junior Maggie Morash (Bernardsville, N.J.) and sophomore Erin Smith (Medford Lakes, N.J.) helped Murphy and Co. to 453:56 minutes of shutout soccer.
That scoreless streak was the longest since a 3-1-1 stretch during the 2008 season.
Despite a 2-3 stretch to close the conference slate, which included two close one-goal losses to Northwestern (Oct. 19) and at No. 12/12 Wisconsin (Oct. 24), RU closed the regular season with a 2-0 win on the road at Ohio State (Oct. 31).
That victory locked up the No. 4 seed for the conference tournament, making it 15 consecutive postseason conference tournament appearances for RU.
"We remained true to the style of soccer we played and got some great wins, then we hit a period where the quality was there and we created enough chances, but there seemed to be a shield on the goal," O'Neill said. "Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged when things aren't going your way, but the kids rolled up their sleeves and did something about it. They continued to work every day and I was very, very proud of that."
Postseason
For the fifth time in the last seven seasons, Rutgers heard its name called on the NCAA Selection Show to give the program another at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
With their 12-5-1 regular season, the Scarlet Knights also earned the right to host their first NCAA Tournament game since 2008.
RU did not disappoint its fans on a frigid November night. The backline allowed just three shots on goal in a shutout to go with goals from a pair of seniors in DeVolk and Stef Scholz (South Hackensack, N.J.) against La Salle. The win allowed O'Neill's bunch to complete a 9-1-0 season at Yurcak Field.
Scholz also capped a splendid career with her team-leading seventh goal of the season, ending ninth in all-time Rutgers history with 22 goals.
"To be out there on one of the coldest nights of the year and still bring almost 1,000 people into the stands is a reflection of the team and the support that they got from the University and the soccer community," O'Neill said.
No. 4 Virginia would knock the Scarlet Knights out of the NCAAs in Charlottesville, Va., in the next round, but the defeat did not take away from one of the best seasons in program history.
"We played against a tough Virginia team, and we knew they were going to be tough," O'Neill said. "I'm really proud of the effort the team gave, the way they developed and the way that they were committed to each other from the outset."
The Scarlet Knights finished the season with 11 shutouts for the second consecutive year, continuing the program's defensive prowess. RU allowed just 13 goals in 20 matches for a 0.64 GAA and at one point during the season, held the second-best GAA in the nation.
Graduating Seniors
The Scarlet Knights said goodbye to six players that have made a tremendous impact on the program after the loss to Virginia. Brielle Buis (Franklin Lakes, N.J), Cassie Inacio (Manalapan, N.J.), Tori Leigh (Hamilton, N.J.), DeVolk, Pietrangelo and Scholz will all be leaving the team before next year.
The senior class guided the program to a 47-26-10 record since 2011, including three-straight 13-win seasons and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament.
"The seniors have been ambassadors on and off the field since day one," O'Neill said. "I think the biggest impact you can have on a program is making sure that when you leave the program it's in a better place because you were there. There's no doubt that the seniors have done that. Rutgers Women's Soccer is in a better place because these ladies came here."
Players Returning
Looking ahead to the 2015 season, RU maintains significant experience along the back line and in the midfield, and returns a number of key reserves.
All five defensive starters return next season, including outside backs Morash and Smith, center backs Reed and Skroski and goalkeeper Murphy.
The midfield also maintains a seasoned veteran in Katkowski, who has started all 64 matches for the Scarlet Knights since 2012. Junior Sam Valliant (Markham, Ontario) gives RU another returning starter in the midfield, while Tiernan will return as RU's leading goal-scorer up top with 12 through two years "On the Banks."
Freshmen Courtney Norton (Mount Laurel, N.J.), Torie Ahde (Jackson, N.J.), Jessie Sexton (Marietta, Fa.) and redshirt freshman Shannon Phillips (Greenelt, Md.) all saw action in their first full season.
Advancing through the program as upperclassmen, integral players such as sophomore Tori Prager (Mount Laurel, N.J.), Jennifer Andresen (Wyckoff, N.J.), Jessica Puchalski (South Brunswick, N.J.), Ali Ryan (Bowie, Md.) and Jenna Seddon (Galloway, N.J.) will be back at RU with yet another year of experience under their belts.
Comprising the deep 2015 senior class will be Rachel Cole (Teaneck, N.J.), Alana Jimenez (Ocean, N.J.), Erica Sousa (Franklin Square, N.Y.), Cassidy Benintente (Jackson, N.J.), Gabby Moreno (Severna, Md.), Katkowski, Reed, Morash, Skroski and Valliant.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (Rutgers Athletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers women's soccer, follow the program on Facebook (Rutgers Women's Soccer), Twitter (@RUWSoccer) and Instagram (@RUWSoccer). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
