Men's Soccer Heads To Lafayette on Tuesday

Tuesday, October 16

Easton, Pa.

7:00 PM

Rutgers University

Lafayette

Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

Oct 15 | Men's Soccer

Match Notes Watch Live Stats

Scarlet Knights & Leopards Kickoff at 7 p.m.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Coming off a 2-1 Big Ten win over Northwestern on Friday night, the Rutgers men's soccer team returns to action to face Lafayette in noconference play on Tuesday in Easton, Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. at Oaks Stadium.

SCARLET KNIGHTS LOOKS TO BUILD ON WIN OVER THE WILDCATS
RU is winding down the regular season slate with four games to go with a pair of contests in nonconference - Lafayette on Tuesday and Columbia next Tuesday both on the road - along with a pair of Big Ten matchups with Indiana at home this Friday and Penn State on the road next Sunday.

The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 2-1 win over Northwestern on Friday night give RU its second Big Ten win of the season. Freshman midfielder Brendan Wall opened up scoring with his first collegiate goal in the 74th minute. The Wildcats, however, knotted the score at 1-1 six minutes later. Leading scorer Jordan Hall would score the game-winner on a penalty kick for his 10th goal of the season in the 88th minute for the win. In goal, senior Rafael Pereira picked up five saves.

#RFutbol Travels to Lafayette on Tuesday

ABOUT LAFAYETTE
The Leopards come into the matchup with a record of 5-4-3 on the season fresh off a 1-0 win against rival Lehigh putting Lafayette into the win column for the first time in five contests.

Junior midfielder Chris Gomez and junior forward James Gibson are tied for the team leader in points (8) and goals (4). Junior midfielder Ryan Goncalves is third on the team with five points (5A).

In goal, freshman Alex Sutton has logged five shutouts on the year along with 35 saves and .814 save percentage.

LAST TIME VS. LAFAYETTE
The Rutgers men's soccer team didn't let an early penalty kick goal by Lafayette deter them as the Scarlet Knights stormed back to take a 4-1 victory on Oct. 18, 2017 at Yurcak Field.

Bryce Washington and Kyle Galloway each captured their first points as Scarlet Knights, with veterans Erik Sa and Thomas Dovell also finding the back of the Leopard in helping Rutgers to the win column.

After Chris Gomez converted a penalty kick in the game's fourth minute to give the Leopards the early lead, it was all Rutgers with the Scarlet Knights responding in taking a 3-1 lead at the half and four unanswered goals total.

Washington scored his first career goal to knot the score at 1-1 in the 27^th minute. A cross from fellow classmate Tyejae Burchall from the near side of the field, looking to find former Scarlet Knight Ryan Peterson, was stopped by Lafayette goalie Brian Ehrlich. However, when the ball got loose, Washington was there to put it into the back of the Leopard net.

Dovell captured his second goal of the season, registering the eventual game-winner in the 34^th minute off assists from a pair of freshmen. From the midfield line, Vincent Borden passed to Galloway just outside the top of the 18. Galloway one-timed the ball to his left for Dovell to fire from 20-yards out. With Peterson diving in an attempt to head in the play, the ball found its way inside the far post for the 2-1 Rutgers edge.

The Scarlet Knights would enjoy a 3-1 lead entering the half. First half scoring was rounded out as Dovell was looking to connect with Galloway, with the ball redirected into goal on a header by the Lafayette defense.

Rutgers concluded the night outshooting Lafayette, 19-10, and holding a 8-3 advantage in corners.

B1G STATS
With the game winner against Northwestern last Friday night, junior Jordan Hall has totaled ten goals on the season to lead all Big Ten scorers.

Hall sits in first place ahead of Indiana's Andrew Gutman with eight goals and Michigan's Umar Farouk Osman with seven goals.

Hall's name is also found atop the league charts in goals per game (0.77), points (22), points per game (1.69) , and shots (44) and second in shots per game (3.38).

Redshirt senior Miles Hackett meanwhile has four assists to his name and is tied for eighth in the league in the category.

ALUMNI UPDATE
Two Scarlet Knights are set to face each other in the 2018 USL Playoffs beginning on Saturday, Oct. 20 with Mitch Taintor's Sacramento Republic FC playing host to Ethan Vanacore-Decker's Swope Park Rangers.

Sacramento previously defeated Swope Park during the regular season by identical 3-1 scores.

In April, Taintor was acquired by Toronto FC on loan from Sacramento Republic FC and captured his first MLS goal in his debut against the Houston Dynamo.

Entering this week, Taintor has appeared in and started 32 matches for Sacramento Republic FC in 2018.

Prior to joining Sacramento, Taintor spent two seasons (2016 & 2017) with Toronto FC II. During his time with the Young Reds, he appeared in 47 matches registering three goals and one assist.

Vanacore-Decker signed with the Swope Park Rangers, the United Soccer League club affiliated with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer in August.

The Scarlet Knight, who graduated last December with a degree in Labor Studies, was picked up by the club after playing this summer with the Premier Development League's North County United in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's game, the Scarlet Knights return home to host No. 4 and 2017 national runner up Indiana as part of Senior Knight on Friday at 7 p.m.