PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team got into the B1G win column on Friday night with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Wisconsin Badgers at Yurcak Field.
- The two squads were scoreless at intermission before Rutgers exploded for three second half goals.
- It appeared the stalemate might have been broken in the 64th minute. Junior Vince Borden fired a rocket at the Badger net and sending Wisconsin keeper Dean Cowdroy back over the line on the save, however a review ruled that the ball did not go over the goal line.
- Just over a minute later, however, Rutgers did indeed break the scoreless tie with senior captain Jake Longo putting away the game-winning on his first career goal. Off a clear on one of the Scarlet Knights' nine corner kicks, Kyle Galloway kept play alive with the flick with his back to the Wisconsin goal landing inside the 18 for Longo to slide the ball into net past the surging Badger keeper from six yards out.
- Two more insurance goals were added late within three and a half minutes of each other following a late Wisconsin attack that saw shots by Elan Koenig and Andrew Akindele go wide.
- While the Badgers managed to block Kyle Galloway from an attempt from eight yards out at the right post, sophomore Nick Cruz controlled the rebound to Pablo Ávila in front of the net for the header to give RU a 2-0 lead in the 87th minute.
- In the final minute, Rutgers extended its lead with Pablo Ávila wide open down the left side. Dribbling into the post, he was able to slot the ball past a surging Dean Cowdroy to Brendan Wall to have an open look on goal.
- Rutgers snapped a three-game setback streak to capture its first Big Ten win of the season and improve to 7-3-2 overall and 1-3-1 in league play. Additionally, RU upped its mark to 4-2-0 at home.
- Wisconsin dropped to 2-9-1 overall and 0-3-1 in Big Ten action.
- The Scarlet Knights led in shots, 12-6, and corners, 9-2.
- Freshman Oren Asher picked up clean sheet number three of the season with a pair of second half stops.
- Badger keeper Dean Cowdroy also made two second half stops.
- Jake Longo's game-winner was his first Scarlet Knight goal of his career.
- Kyle Galloway picked up his third career assist and has five career points (1G, 3A).
- Pablo Ávila netted his team-leading fifth goal of the season and second assist of the year. He currently has 12 points (5G, 2A) ranking him second in the Big Ten.
- Nick Cruz also collected his second assist of 2019 with the helper on Ávila's score.
- Brendan Wall captured his second career goal to round out the night's scoring.
- Rutgers' three goals were the most at home since a 4-1 win over Lafayette on Oct. 18, 2017.
"Pablo (Ávila) served in a great ball. (Wisconsin) dealt with it pretty well in getting the clear, but Kyle (Galloway) did a really great job in getting back into the mix and I tried my best to hold my line and stay onside. I ended up taking it down and honestly, it was a little bit of a heavy touch, but I ended up getting their before the keeper and I put it through his legs and there it was. We had a little fire in our belly to come out and get this win. We really needed it." – senior
Jake Longo
"We told the guys at halftime to keep doing what you were doing. We thought were controlling most of the game. We had some chances in the first half and just didn't convert them. I thought they were doing the right things and if we could be a hair more patient, we could get more chances. After the first goal, we had to try to keep passing the ball, that's what this team is built on right now. Sitting in and defending for that period of time was just too long. We wanted to keep playing and earn a couple more chances and then it turns you can get that second goal." - head coach
Jim McElderry
The Rutgers men's soccer team begins a four-game road trip beginning with Hartford on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.
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