Scarlet Knights Back To Having Fun Entering NCAA Second Round
Nov 17 | Women's Soccer
By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - For the biggest, most pressured-packed games of the season, Brianne Reed has some simple advice for the Rutgers women's soccer team as it continues to try to live up to its No. 2 seed and No. 9 national ranking.
Just have fun.
That's the suggestion the First Team All-Big Ten senior defender is offering as the Scarlet Knights (17-3-2) prepare to take on Hofstra (13-5-2) in the second game of a second round NCAA Tournament doubleheader at Yurcak Field on Friday at 7 p.m. No. 10 Notre Dame (14-4-1) and No. 18 Connecticut (18-3) square off in the first game at 4 p.m., with the winners advancing to play on Sunday at Yurcak.
Reed intends to heed her own words, too.
"I think we're in a bit of rebuilding stage after the loss (to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament championship game)," Reed said. "It definitely hit us a little hard. I think it did affect us in the game on Friday (a 1-0 win over FDU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament). I think we just have to get back enjoying soccer.
"Personally, that's something I've been struggling with a little bit. It is a one-game elimination and that does weigh on you and I think that's affected me a little. So it's a matter of getting back to enjoying playing. We're still in this tournament. We have a second round game at home under the lights with all of our fans. So I think we have to remember that and enjoy that. It's what we worked for all season."
Going on an extended winning streak at the most important time of the year wouldn't be surprising at all for this record-setting squad. Rutgers opened the season at 8-0 with eight-straight shutouts. The Scarlet Knights later had a 10-match unbeaten stretch (8-0-2) that ended with the Big Ten championship game loss to Penn State.
"Now is the time to go on one of the runs we had during the season," said Reed. "In both cases they started with just one game. We're back on that now. We've got to build off that first win, get that second win and then take it as far as we can."
Having set the single-season program record already for victories while matching the school record for shutouts with 16, the Scarlet Knights hit only one rough patch during the year (back-to-back road losses to Illinois and Northwestern) before the loss to Penn State - a team they beat on Oct. 18 at home.
But even head coach Mike O'Neill sensed that his team appeared to play "not to lose" in the opening-round NCAA victory over FDU.
"We just have to be ourselves and get back to our habits and play the way we know we're capable of playing," said sophomore Colby Ciarrocca, the team's leading goal producer with eight. "As long as we play our game, we feel we're one of the best teams in the NCAA Tournament."
Junior Erin Smith echoed those sentiments.
"It's always tough after a loss, especially that first game back," she said. "We need to continue to stay focused, remind each other that we've had some really good stretches this year and that each game could be our last.
"We're definitely very focused right now - probably the most focused we've been all season."
Some much-needed rest and another home game have this team exactly where it wants to be, said Ciarrocca, adding that "we're confident going forward."
There's added reason for that: Rutgers is 11-0-1 at home this season, making the potential of two more games at Yurcak a significant advantage.
"We put in the hard work during the season so we could get these home games in the postseason," said sophomore goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who set a school record for shutouts in a season this year with 16. "We all love playing in front of our family and friends and there's nothing like playing at Yurcak and looking up to see your biggest fans there and we're excited for that again on Friday."
