IOWA CITY, IOWA – No. 21/19 Rutgers women's soccer defeated Iowa, 1-0, on the road Friday night. Senior
Amanda Visco scored the game winner for the Scarlet Knights, while sophomore goalkeeper
Meagan McClelland posted her second straight shutout in the victory.
"Today was one of those games where you need to dig deep and give everything you have," said sophomore back
Shea Holland. "Mentally, we prepared for the wear and tear, the travel and the cold weather.
"We give everything we have always and stay united together as a team and that's why we got the result we wanted"
QUICK STATS
Rutgers improved to 10-2-1 overall and 4-2-0 in Big Ten play, while Iowa fell to 12-3-0 overall and 4-3-0 in the league.
Visco notched her second goal of the season, while senior midfielder
Taylor Aylmer notched her sixth assist. McClelland registered six saves to seal her eighth clean sheet of the year.
The Hawkeyes' goalkeeper Claire Graves notched four saves on the Scarlet Knights' additional attempts in the loss.
THE MATCH
Rutgers and Iowa started the first half balanced with two shots and a save for both sides. The Scarlet Knights broke through the stalemate in the 28th minute.
A blocked shot by junior forward
Amirah Ali forced a corner kick for RU. After Aylmer sent a precise pass into the box, Visco knocked in the header to give Rutgers a 1-0 lead in the game.
Following two saves by McClelland to close the stanza, RU carried its advantage into halftime.
The contest remained even throughout the second half as UI held a slight, 5-4 edge in shots. While the defense forced off target shots, McClelland stayed resilient with two saves to seal the victory.
"We came into this game knowing Iowa was a good team, but we were playing to gain three points no matter what and that's just what we did," said Ali. "Through the cold conditions, we stuck together and played like the team we know how to be. It was a big win but we have a quick turn around Sunday and need to be focused on Nebraska. We're just continuing to take it one game at a time."
UP NEXT
Rutgers remains in the Midwest for a visit to Nebraska on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET in Lincoln.
KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers picked up its third straight Big Ten victory. It marked its second on the road in the last three games.
- The Scarlet Knights remain unbeaten on the road with a record of 3-0-1 away from home this year.
- RU improved to 3-1-1 against opponents ranked or receiving votes.
- Rutgers takes the edge in the all-time series with Iowa, improving to a mark of 4-3.
- When leading at the half, Rutgers holds a record of 4-0 this season.
- Meagan McClelland has recorded five or more saves six times this season, racking up eight shutouts along the way. She has 16 clean sheets in her career.
- Amanda Visco scored her second goal of the season and fifth of her career.
- Taylor Aylmer added her sixth assist of the year, recording a helper in back-to-back contests.
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