COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A goal in the second minute of play off the foot of senior Samantha Valliant (Markham, Ontario, Canada) was all No. 15 Rutgers women's soccer needed Friday night in a 1-0 win at Maryland.
The Scarlet Knights (8-0, 1-0 Big Ten) left Ludwig Field with their eighth consecutive shutout, continuing the best start in the history of the program by winning in their Big Ten Conference opener.
"This was our first game in the Big Ten and getting a win in any game is hard to do," said head coach Mike O'Neill. "We're very proud of the effort the team gave from the start to the end. We're 30 strong and it showed again tonight."
The game-winning attack began near midfield after junior forward Madison Tiernan (Voorhees, N.J.) won a ball from the Terrapins' (5-4, 0-1 Big Ten) defense. Tiernan turned back toward the Maryland goal and pushed forward, finding sophomore Colby Ciarrocca (Montgomery, N.J.) on the far side just outside the 18-yard box.
With Valliant running middle toward net, Ciarrocca pushed the ball for her in stride, as Valliant buried the shot in goal. The score was Valliant's second game-winning strike of the season.
Ciarrocca, meanwhile, has left her mark on the Rutgers' offense with points in five consecutive matches.
The Scarlet Knights surrendered eight shots to Maryland on the night, with just one coming off the foot of leading scorer Alex Anthony. The win avenged a 2-0 loss to open Big Ten play last season at Maryland.
Sophomore goalkeeper Casey Murphy (Bridgewater, N.J.) made two saves in another brilliant performance and now has 18 shutouts in her career.
Rutgers continues its Big Ten schedule next Thursday, Sept. 24 in Champaign, Ill., against the Fighting Illini (6-1-1). The match will air live on Big Ten Network and marks the Scarlet Knights' second game on national television this season.
Game Notes
- Rutgers continues its best start in program history at 8-0 this season. RU entered the night as one of just three teams in the nation unbeaten and untied. Tulsa (8-0) and Washington State (7-0) were the others.
- RU improved its record scoreless streak to 720:00 consecutive minutes with its eighth-straight shutout to open the season. That streak is currently the longest in the country.
- The Scarlet Knights improve to 11-9-3 all-time in conference openers.
- Rutgers is 17-19-4 all-time against the Big Ten Conference, but has won 12 of its last 18 (12-5-1) matches against league opponents dating back to the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
- RU captured its second win all-time against Maryland Friday night. The Scarlet Knights improve to 2-6-1 all-time against the Terrapins, winning for the first time since Oct. 7, 1989.
- Valliant recorded the third game-winner of her career and her second this season. Her goals (two) and points (five) totals are both personal-bests.
- Ciarrocca tallied an assist on Valliant's game-winner and has notched points in five consecutive matches. She has seven points (2g, 3a) this season to lead Rutgers.
- Tiernan registered her first point of the year with an assist on Valliant's game-winner. The assist was the ninth of her career.
- Murphy posted her 18th-career shutout in a two-save night. She remains fifth on the all-time list.
- Murphy's career goals-against average of 0.46 is currently the best in program history.
- Senior midfielder Hayley Katkowski (Westford, Mass.) started her 72nd consecutive game for Rutgers since her career began in 2012.
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