PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team found themselves with an early lead and fought back to make it a 2-2 game midway through the first half, but an own goal in the second half halted the Scarlet Knights' chances of putting together back-to-back wins in a 3-2 setback against Drexel on Tuesday night at Yurcak Field.

"We went with three in the back trying to get more numbers up front," said head coach Dan Donigan. "We went with two guys up top looking for combinations and for more numbers in the attack to create more opportunities and finish plays off. We are making progress, but unfortunately we ran into another good opponent in Drexel, who is good in second phase restarts. They have some good size and got a lot of knockdowns and second chances and that's what led them to the result they got tonight. I think we're making progress. We just need to find a way to find close games against tough matches like this."   

Rutgers (2-7-1) junior forward Jordan Hall scored his seventh goal of the season a mere three minutes into the contest taking a free kick just outside the top right of the 18 into lower left corner. The goal put the Manchester, England product a top the goals scored rankings in the Big Ten.
 

👀 Watch Jordan Hall with his seventh goal of the season putting #RFutbol up 1-0 early on Drexel pic.twitter.com/wAXHUUeGWh

— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 2, 2018

It was two restart situations, however, that gave the Dragons (7-2-2) a 2-1 edge. Drexel punched back two minutes after Hall's score with Kewsi Allen finding the back of the Scarlet Knight net from 25 yards out. Then in the eighth minute, the serve by the Dragon's Michael McCarthy near the midline was headed by Mathias Ebbesen across the goal to Chris Donovan for the header into to opposite corner.

The Scarlet Knights, however, tied the match up at 2-2 in the 21^st minute. RU maintained possession after a corner kick at the far side of the field and redshirt senior Miles Hackett kept the ball in play along the end line. Hackett delivered the ball back to freshman Andrew Murray, who buried his first collegiate goal from eight yards out.
 

👀 Watch Andrew Murray's first collegiate goal tie #RFutbol & Drexel up at 2-2 pic.twitter.com/qqKUHZ5N7r

— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 2, 2018

Drexel's game-winner came off an own goal. The Dragon's Chris Donovan crossed the ball in front of Rutgers goal where the ball was inadvertently knocked in by the Scarlet Knights trying to get it to keeper Rafael Pereira.

The Dragons ended the night with a 15-14 edge in shots taken and 8-6 advantage in corner kicks.

Pereira made five stops for Rutgers, while Stephen Kopsachillis registered three.



The Rutgers men's soccer team is back to Big Ten play on Sunday when they meet the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison at 2 p.m.
 
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