PISCATAWAY, N.J. -  The Rutgers men's soccer team is back at home for a two-game homestand starting on Sunday with a doubleheader at Yurcak Field. RU hosts Ohio State at 1 p.m. followed by the Rutgers women's soccer team welcoming Maryland at 3:30 p.m.

PROMOTIONS
A ticket to Sunday's game against the Buckeyes will gain fans admission to the women's game against Maryland. Additionally, fans can receive free admission by showing a Rutgers vs. Morgan State football game stub at the ticket window. Fans entering Yurcak Field can also pick up a free Rutgers soccer season t-shirt.

TWO GAME HOMESTAND
Rutgers, who is playing the toughest schedule in the nation, took on its fourth nationally-ranked opponent thru the opening six games of the season on Tuesday night, falling 3-0 to No. 3 Maryland. All four Scarlet Knight losses have come against programs ranked in the top 10 of this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll.

The Scarlet Knights and Terps played to a scoreless halftime before 2016 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Gordon Wild, netted two of Maryland's three tallies in the second half.

Rutgers is currently led by senior forward Ethan Vanacore-Decker with five points (2G, 1A), including the game-winning goal in the 5-3 Scarlet Knight win at Oral Roberts on Sept. 1. He is second in the Big Ten in shots, averaging 3.83 attempts per contest.

Following Vanacore-Decker on the stat sheet is senior midfielder Dante Perez (1G, 1A).

In goal, junior Rafael Pereira leads the Big Ten at 5.20 saves per game.

ABOUT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes enter Yurcak Field with a 5-1-0 overall mark, 2-0-0 Big Ten record and have strung together four consecutive shutouts.

Ohio State currently ranks first in the country in shutout percentage (.830) and is one clean sheet away from tying the program record for consecutive shutouts. The Buckeye's 2007 College Cup team holds the record with five.

Opening up Big Ten play last week, the Buckeyes picked up a 1-0 win at Northwestern last Friday and played to a 3-0 win at home on Tuesday night.

OSU's lone loss thus far in 2017 came in a 3-0 loss against Florida International in the second game of the 12th Annual Bert & Iris Wolstein Classic.

Freshman forward Joshua Jackson-Ketchup leads the Buckeyes with a trio of goals, including the game-winner over Lehigh.

Senior defender Niall Logue is next on the stat sheet with two goals, while Abdi Mohamed has recorded four assists.

Four other Buckeyes have also recorded a goal.

In net, redshirt sophomore Parker Siegfried has five shutouts under his belt along with a .833 save percentage and 0.50 goals against average.

LAST TIME VS. OHIO STATE
Niel Guzman's header moments into the second half cut the Rutgers men's soccer team's deficit down to one after Ohio State took a 2-0 lead into the half. The Buckeyes, however, would add another score and take the 3-1 win at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium back on Sept. 18, 2016.

Ohio State opened scoring in the fifth minute of play as Nate Kohl managed to slip the ball into the near post. The Buckeyes followed with Austin Berstrom converting a penalty kick in the 27th minute for the 2-0 lead.

Scarlet Knight goalkeeper David Greczek made all five of his saves in the first half. The eventual Rutgers all-time saves leader upped his career save mark to 303 and moved into a tie for second place in saves "On The Banks" against the Buckeyes.

Rutgers looked to shift momentum in the second half scoring moments into the second stanza. Guzman headed in the serve from Peterson off a corner kick at the far post, cutting the Scarlet Knight deficit down to one, 2-1.

The Buckeyes responded under 10 minutes later off an Abdi Mohamed free kick from just outside the 18 going high into the left corner of the Scarlet Knight net.

While RU was outshot 11-2 in the first half, the two teams were evenly matched in shots at 5-5 in the second half.

TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN THE NATION
With four games against the current top 10 through the first six games of the season, the Rutgers men's soccer team is currently playing the toughest schedule in the nation.

RU faced two of the country's best during opening weekend with 2016 national runner-up,  No. 2 Wake Forest, and 2016 national semifinalist, No. 4 North Carolina. Rutgers has also clashed with current No. 6 Michigan State to open up Big Ten play and followed with No. 3 Maryland on Tuesday night and an Ohio State squad currently receiving votes.

RU will also face No. 1 Indiana on the road on Sept. 22 and hosts NJIT, who is receiving votes this week, on Oct. 11.

Toughest Schedules | Team (Opponents - Current Rank)
1. Rutgers -  (No. 1 Indiana, No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 18 Michigan, RV NJIT, RV Ohio State)
2. Virginia Tech - (No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 10 Clemson, No. 10 Omaha, No. 12 Virginia, No. 17 Louisville, No. 23 Duke, RV Creighton)
3. Cal Poly  - (No. 1 Indiana No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Maryland, No. 9 Georgetown, RV Portland)
4. FIU - (No. 13 Kentucky, RV Charlotte, RV NJIT, RV Ohio State)  
5. Grand Canyon - (No. 10 Omaha, No. 14 Pacific,  RV Air Force, RV Creighton, RV Utah Valley)

UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights will have one day to rest before its next contest - a nonconference meeting with Canisius at Yurack Field on Tuesday, September 19 at 7 p.m. Fans can pick up a free soccer ball magnet giveaway.

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMensSoccer) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/RUMensSoccer) for all of the latest news and updates. Fans also receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on both social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.