PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In a defensive match that saw 87 scoreless minutes, No. 21 Rutgers women's soccer (11-3-5, 7-1-3) fell short on a late Minnesota (10-8-1, 5-5-1) goal in a 1-0 decision in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal on Sunday afternoon at Yurcak Field.
 
"I am proud of the effort that this team gave all year. Today, we just lacked a little bit of an edge," said head coach Mike O'Neill. "I give Minnesota credit and their defense.
 
"I'm really proud of this group. I'm proud of the seniors, what they have brought to the team and the University. We are going to rely heavily on that leadership to make sure we take care of ourselves, refocus and regroup. It's been a great year and we will await the NCAA selections."
 
The goalkeepers battled throughout the contest with both Rutgers' keeper Meagan McClelland, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and Minnesota's keeper Maddie Nelson posting four saves apiece. The defense's each denied tremendous attempts, as each side continued to knock on the door.
 
Each of the Scarlet Knights shots throughout the contest were on goal, as sophomore forward Amirah Ali led RU with two. Minnesota, however, matched Rutgers' defensive prowess to keep it a scoreless game late into the second half.

Following a first half that saw a combined five shots, the team's ramped up the attack with nearly double the shots across the second stanza. The keepers held strong in net, tallying a balanced three saves in second frame.
 
However, with three minutes remaining in regulation, the Golden Gophers' April Bockin, the Big Ten Forward of the Year, scored the game winner on a double assist from Emily Heslin and Molly Fiedler to advance the Gophers.
 
Rutgers now awaits selection for the 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. The show is set to air on Monday, Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m. ET. 
 
KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers and Minnesota moved to 1-1 in matches this season. Today's contest was a rematch of the a 2-1, double overtime battle in the regular season on Sept. 30, when RU came out with a triumph over UM on the road.
• With today's result, the all-time series is balanced at 4-4 between the teams. The Gophers own a 2-1 edge over the Scarlet Knights in Big Ten Tournament matches.
• With an NCAA bid on Monday, Nov. 5, the program will head to the national tournament for its seventh-straight year and ninth time in the last 11 seasons.

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