UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -The stated goal since practice began on Aug. 1 has always been to reach the Big Ten Tournament championship game. But moments after that was achieved by the Rutgers women's soccer team today with a 2-0 semifinal victory over Ohio State at Jeffrey Field, it suddenly wasn't enough.

A team making its case as the greatest in program history wants more. A lot more.

"It's a little bit surreal," said senior Samantha Valliant. "After the game we took a step back and realized `we're here.' We wanted to take it in. This is what we've been working for all season. It's nice to sit back and look at where we are but I think everyone had the same thought right away: We're 90 minutes away from what we really want."

The third-seeded Scarlet Knights made short work of the No. 7 seeded Buckeyes with first-half goals by Colby Ciarrocca and Jennifer Andresen to earn a spot in Sunday's championship game at 2 p.m. against No. 1-seed Penn State.

Along the way, No. 7-ranked Rutgers added to a resume that is suddenly becoming the gold standard for future Scarlet Knights teams to be measured against. At 16-2-2 overall, coach Mike O'Neill's squad tied the program record for victories. The unbeaten streak has reached 10 games (8-0-2), the longest in nine years, and the shutout was goalkeeper Casey Murphy's 15^th this year, tying a school record.

But there's still a spot waiting to be filled in the trophy case.

"Getting through this game was really important because we've been saying it's all about Sunday but we knew we had to get through this one first and we just did it," said senior Erica Skroski, the Big Ten Defender of the Year. "Now we're one game away. It's an awesome feeling."

O'Neill thought there was a different feeling early on against the Buckeyes (11-6-3), who were seeking a second straight upset after knocking off No. 2 seed Wisconsin in the quarterfinals.

Ciarrocca's team-leading eighth goal of the season - and fifth in the past six games - in the eighth minute changed that.

Perfectly positioned when an Ohio State defender mis-headed the ball back to the Buckeyes' goal, Ciarrocca was there for a heel flick in front of the net to make it 1-0.

"I think they were tight early," O'Neill said. "I think it was the pressure of getting into the final. I've seen it many times with many teams -- they feel the pressure because they're the higher seed and they kind of playing a little tight instead of being themselves.

"Colby's goal took away some of that pressure."

Ciarrocca, a sophomore, said it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

"I was in my spot and I was able to take advantage, though it really kind of skipped off me," she said. "I'm honestly not sure how I got it."

Skroski sensed a burden was immediately lifted.

"Colby putting that goal in early really lifted us, let us play our game, got the nerves out and let us play the way we can play," she said.

Andresen's goal created a hill that was too steep for the Buckeyes to climb, especially with Murphy in net. With Rutgers pressing on the attack, freshman keeper Devon Kerr's clearing kick went right to Andresen, who was 30 yards out then.

Andresen, uncontested as she moved closer, fired a laser from 18 yards out that beat Kerr in the 39^th minute to make it 2-0.

"I was in good position and we were pressing hard," she said. "She made the mistake and I got it and I went right for goal."

Now the Scarlet Knights find themselves exactly where they wanted to be all along.

"Getting this far is exactly what we wanted and we know what we need to do on Sunday but that feeling that you get … I had trouble sleeping Thursday night and I'm going to have trouble sleepingSaturday night," said Brianne Reed, a first-team all-Big Ten defender. "You work so hard and the opportunity is here. We're ready to prove ourselves on Sunday."

"We know what we want to do and how to get it done," said Andresen. "It's here now. We just need to capitalize."

Game Notes

• Rutgers extended its current unbeaten streak to 10 matches (8-0-2) with the win. That streak is the longest for Rutgers in a single season, and ties the longest unbeaten streak overall for RU. To end the 2005 season and begin the 2006 season, Rutgers went 9-0-1.
• RU tied the 2006 squad (16-3-4) for the most wins in a single season in program history. The Scarlet Knights are off to the best 20-game start in program history at 16-2-2, besting the 2006 team's 15-2-3 start.
• The victory was RU's second Big Ten Tournament win in program history.

• The Scarlet Knights advance to the first Big Ten Conference Championship in Rutgers history. The program is in a conference title match for the second time in three years. RU made a run to the American Athletic Conference Tournament final in 2013.
• In nationally televised contests, Rutgers improved to 2-1 on the year. RU is 1-1 on the Big Ten Network.
• When scoring first this season, Rutgers is 13-0. RU also has two come-from-behind wins on the year vs. Minnesota.
• Since 2008, Rutgers holds a 48-2-2 mark with a lead at half, including a 9-0-0 record this season, an 8-0-0 record in 2014 and a 7-1-1 mark in 2013
• Rutgers improves to 5-0 all-time against Ohio State after defeating the Buckeyes for the second time in 2015.
• The Scarlet Knights are 20-6-3 in their last 29 matches against Big Ten competition dating back to the 2008 season.
• Murphy's shutout gives her 15 on the season, which is a new Rutgers goalkeeper record. As a team, the Scarlet Knights are one clean sheet away from tying the 2006 squad for most shutouts in a season.
• Ciarrocca leads Rutgers with eight goals and 19 points this season. She has scored in five of the last six contests.
• Andresen's goal was the second of her career and first since Aug. 22, 2014 in the win over Stony Brook.
• Katkowski started her 84th consecutive game for Rutgers since her career began in 2012. She is now tied for second on Rutgers' all-time list for starts in a career.
• Skroski played the full time for the 18th time this season. Reed and Katkowski logged the full time for the 14th time.