Sept. 25, 2014 Box Score
LINCOLN, Neb. (Sept. 25, 2014) - The No. 25/17 Rutgers women's soccer team jumped ahead early on the road against Nebraska, but a Husker goal late in the first half and tight defense for the remainder led to a 1-1 draw Friday night at Nebraska Soccer Field.
The draw is the first for Rutgers (6-1-1, 2-1-1 Big Ten) since playing a scoreless 110 minutes last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at No. 7 West Virginia. Junior Brianne Reed (Tinton Falls, N.J.) notched the lone RU goal, her first of the season.
"We worked very hard, considering it was a short crazy week with being off Monday, training Tuesday and hopping on a plane Wednesday," said head coach Mike O'Neill. "I thought we had very good ideas, but we just didn't execute some of those ideas. In the final third we had some chances but we just need to be more efficient."
RU had two prime chances in extra time, the first coming in the 92nd minute off the head of sophomore Madison Tiernan (Voorhees, N.J.). Junior Maggie Morash (Bernardsville, N.J.) played a ball up into the box and found an open Tiernan through the air, but her header sailed just high over the net.
Moments later, senior Stef Scholz (South Hackensack, N.J.) found an opening in the backline, but failed to get enough on the shot and had it trickle to Nebraska goalkeeper Kelly Schatz for the easy save.
On the other side of the field, freshman goalkeeper Casey Murphy (Bridgewater, N.J.) played another solid game, making two saves. The goal allowed, which came on a perfectly executed Nebraska header, was just her fourth this season. Reed gave the Scarlet Knights the lead in the 16th minute, corralling a ball off a rebound on RU's first corner and ripping it from the 18-yard marker for a goal.
The shot beat Schatz to the far post, giving Rutgers the early lead. Nebraska would respond though, finding the equalizer in the 37th minute off the head of Mayme Conroy in front of the net. The cross was sent in from the right side by Jourdan Casey, who connected with Conroy to tie the match.
The Scarlet Knights make the trip to Iowa City, Iowa to take on No. RV/13 Iowa in just the second meeting all-time between the two schools. The Hawkeyes (8-2-0, 3-1 Big Ten) look to get back on track after dropping their first league match against visiting Maryland, 1-0, Friday night.
Game Notes
- Rutgers and Nebraska competed on the pitch for the first time in the history of the two programs.
- The draw is the first for Rutgers (6-1-1, 2-1-1 Big Ten) since playing a scoreless 110 minutes last season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at No. 7 West Virginia (Nov. 16).
- The draw was the first Big Ten tie for RU as a member of its new league.
- Rutgers is now 3-0-1 when tied at the half, and 3-1-1 when scoring less than two goals.
- RU has won five of its last seven meetings (5-1-1) with Big Ten schools dating back to 2008.
- The goal by Reed in the 16th minute was her first of the season and second of her career.
- RU posted double-digit shots for the 26th time in its last 30 matches.
- The Scarlet Knights have outshot the opposition in all eight matches this season.
- Making her eighth-straight start in net, Murphy is the first freshman goalkeeper in program history to start that many matches consecutively to begin her career.
- Senior Amy Pietrangelo (Laval, Quebec) led the Scarlet Knights with three shots.
- Junior Hayley Katkowski (Westford, Mass.) started her 52nd consecutive game in the midfield for Rutgers.
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