Sweet 16 Matchup: No. 9 WSOC Hosts No. 18 UConn
Nov 21 | Women's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- With the singular focus that the Rutgers women's soccer team has these days, it doesn't matter that the Scarlet Knights will see a familiar opponent in Connecticut in Sunday's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game at Yurcak Field -- just as it didn't Friday night in a rematch with Hofstra.
| NCAA Tournament - Third Round No. 18 UConn Huskies (19-3, 8-1 American Athletic Conference) | |
| Date | Sunday, Nov. 22 |
| Time | 1 p.m. EST |
| Location | Piscataway, N.J. | Yurcak Field |
| TV (Talent) | N/A |
| Live Stream | BTN Plus |
| Live Stats | |
| Statistics | Rutgers | UConn |
| NCAA Bracket | Click Here |
| Tickets | Adults - $7 | Students/Senior Citizens - $5 | Children - $1 |
"That first UConn game (Sept. 13) was a long time ago," said senior forward Cassie Inacio. "It's similar to Hofstra since we played them two months ago before seeing them again on Friday. They're a different team and we're a different team as well. So I'm expecting a completely different game."
What's also completely different about this Rutgers-Connecticut game is what's at stake. The winner of the 1 p.m. match will advance to the Elite Eight next week to face the winner of today's Virginia-USC game.
The Scarlet Knights are making the program's third Sweet 16 appearance in what has become a season of firsts. An Elite Eight would be just that for the school.
"It's hard to keep out of your mind what winning this game would mean," said first-team all-Big Ten defender Brianne Reed. "The potential to do what we can do by winning this game I'm not going to push aside. I think we should use it to motivate us at this point."
No. 9-ranked and No. 2 seed Rutgers has already set school records for victories at18-3-2 overall and for shutouts in a season with 17. The latest addition to both marks was Friday night's 2-0 second round win over a Hofstra team the Scarlet Knights beat 1-0 on Aug. 23.
Rutgers defeated then-No. 20-ranked Connecticut 2-0 at home on Sept. 13. But that was 17 games ago. The No. 18-ranked Huskies advanced to this stage with a 2-0 victory over No. 10-ranked Notre Dame on Friday, with forward Rachel Hill netting both goals, her 15th and 16th of the season.
"It's a chance for another first for this team," said senior Erica Skroski, the Big Ten Defender of the Year. "All year it's been `we can do this and set another record.' Or `we can do this and have another program first.' So it's something we're accustomed to now."
Rutgers' defense, which ranks among the nation's stingiest, knows it will have to keep close tabs on Hill.
"Every year I've been here we've played UConn," said Reed, who recorded her first goal of the season on a header off a corner kick against Hofstra. "We lost twice then got the result this year. We know how they play. They have a good forward (in Hill). We recognize that and respect that. We're just going to keep doing what we've done all season."
Connecticut holds a commanding 16-3-4 advantage in the all-time series between the schools, but has to overcome two variables today: A Rutgers team that seems to have regained its confidence following a brief lull and a squad that is 12-0-1 at home this season.
"We know what they're looking to do but it was 17 games ago," said Skroski. "But they're a better team and we're a better team. We'll look at how we played against them 17 games ago but things change. We know what they're looking to do attacking-wise and defensively. We're going to try to capitalize on opportunities and play our game and hopefully come out with a win."
Sophomore goalkeeper Casey Murphy, who has set the school record for shutouts in a season with 17, said this team is "completely focused."
Murphy needed to stop a second-half penalty kick against Hofstra to preserve her latest shutout.
"From the beginning of the year we set some big goals," she said. "We've stayed focused by wanting to achieve those goals. The next one is playing in the Elite Eight."
If nothing else, the game will serve as a fitting final home game (most likely) for a senior class that has taken the program to new heights.
"Like coach (Mike O'Neill) always says, you always want to come in and leave the program in a better place than when you arrived," said Inacio. "I think we've done that, and this is another chance to add to that."
