PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 23 Rutgers women's soccer played to a 1-1 draw at RV Nebraska on Sunday afternoon at Hibner Stadium. The game was televised nationally on ESPNU.
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Although Nebraska (8-3-3, 2-1-3 Big Ten) took a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the contest, freshman forward
Nneka Moneme ignited Rutgers (9-2-3, 3-2-2 Big Ten) in the second half with the equalizer in the 50
th minute for a 1-1 tie. The teams remained even across two overtime periods for the game's final score.
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"Every game in the Big Ten is a battle and this weekend proved that," said senior forward
Colby Ciarrocca. "I'm really proud of our team's mentality and fight against Nebraska today. We have a huge week ahead of us at home so we're looking to continue to battle as a team and get points in the Big Ten."
Moneme scored the second goal of her career, while redshirt junior
Casey Murphy registered five saves in the match.Â
Nebraska created a 1-0 edge with a goal from Haley Hanson in the seventh minute, scoring on a breakaway to the bottom right corner past a diving Murphy.
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Returning from halftime, Moneme tied things up with a goal in the 50
th minute. Following a pass from classmate
Amirah Ali, Moneme took a shot from about 20-yards out to the upper left corner to set the score at 1-1.
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The RU defense held strong for the remainder of the period, as Murphy aided with three saves to send the contest into overtime.
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In the first overtime period, the Scarlet knights and Huskers tied with two shots each and a save for each goalkeeper. Although UN would post two shots in the final period, the Scarlet Knight remained in tact to close the contest with a tie.
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Up next, Rutgers hosts No. 14 Penn State on Thursday, Oct. 12 for a 7 p.m. match at Yurcak Field. The contest will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
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KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers moved to a record of 2-0-3 in overtime contests this year.
- Rutgers played in its second nationally televised game of the season and first on ESPNU this year.
- Overall, 19 of Rutgers' 27 total goals this year have been scored by either a freshman or sophomore. Nneka Moneme is now the third freshman to record multiple goals this season.
- Amirah Ali is tied for the team lead with four assists this year.
- Nebraska's goal in the seventh minute was the earliest goal scored by a Rutgers' opponent this season. It also marked just the second goal allowed in the first half of play for RU.
- Casey Murphy maintains a 0.34 GAA in 1324:21 minutes in net, allowing only five goals and recording 45 saves.
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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.
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