PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. RV/24 Rutgers will host a pair of Big Ten matches this weekend, welcoming No. 13/12 Penn State on Thursday at 7:04 p.m. and No. 12/15 Ohio State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Thursday's contest with PSU will be televised live on Big Ten Network with Lisa Byington and Chris Doran on the call. Sunday's match marks Senior Day for the Scarlet Knights as the program will honor
Colby Ciarrocca, Christy Monroy, Casey Murphy, Courtney Norton and
Brianna Scarola in a pregame ceremony.
RUTGERS QUICK KICKS
- Rutgers (9-2-3, 3-2-2 Big Ten) is coming off a long road trip last weekend, where the Scarlet Knights suffered just their second loss of the year at Iowa (1-0) before a double-overtime draw at Nebraska (1-1).
- Freshman forward Nneka Moneme scored the equalizer in the 50th minute against the Cornhuskers. It was the second goal of her career, both of which have come at prime times for RU as the first was scored in the 2-1 overtime win at Illinois.
- Overall, 19 of Rutgers' 27 total goals this year have been scored by either a freshman or sophomore. Moneme is now the third freshman to record multiple goals this season.
- Murphy was named to the Top Drawer Soccer's Women's National Top 100, ranking 11th on the midseason list. The goalkeeper, a 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, ranks top five in the nation with a Big Ten leading 0.340 GAA in 1324:21 minutes in net. She has a total of 45 saves on the season, allowing only five goals across 14 games this year.
- The contest with the Huskers was televised live on ESPNU, marking the second national appearance for RU this season. The Scarlet Knights will have their second BTN match and third televised game with the Nittany Lions.
- Rutgers is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll after ranking No 23 in last week's poll. The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 24 by TopDrawerSoccer.com, while sitting at No. 20 in the NCAA RPI.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
- Penn State (9-3-1, 5-1-1 Big Ten) picked up a pair of wins over the weekend over Michigan (2-0) on Friday and Michigan State (4-0) on Sunday.
- Megan Schafer was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, posting three goals on the weekend. Schafer leads the team with five goals to go with three assists.
- Charlotte Williams has tallied a team best six assists along with two goals.
- In net, Rose Chandler maintains a 0.76 GAA in a team high 1059:49 minutes, including 29 saves.
SERIES VS. THE NITTANY LIONS
- Dating back to the first meeting in 1994, Rutgers trails 6-9-2 in the all-time series with Penn State.
- Last season, RU defeated PSU by a score of 2-0 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
- Ohio State (11-2-1, 6-1-0 Big Ten) is on a five-game winning streak, most recently topping Michigan State (1-0) in double overtime on Friday and Michigan (1-0) on Sunday.
- Sammy Edwards leads the team with 19 points, including seven goals and five assists.
- Izzy Rodriquez was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week, adding an
- assist on the game winner against MSU.
- Devon Kerr owns a 0.45 GAA in 1205:06 minutes in net with 39 saves.
- The Buckeyes will travel to Maryland for a Thursday matchup before making the trip to Rutgers.
SERIES VS. THE BUCKEYES
- Rutgers leads the all-time series 5-0-1 over Ohio State.
- The Scarlet Knights and Buckeyes most recently played to a 0-0 double overtime draw last season.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (Rutgers Athletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers women's soccer, follow the program on Facebook (Rutgers Women's Soccer), Twitter (@RUWSoccer) and Instagram (@RUWSoccer). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
