PISCATAWAY, N.J. - No. 21/13 Rutgers women's soccer rallied four second-half goals, including three in a two-minute span, to defeat Hofstra, 4-1, on Thursday night at Yurcak Field. Four different Scarlet Knights contributed a goal in the victory to move RU to 5-0 on the season.
QUICK STATS
Junior forward
Nneka Moneme, sophomore defender
Shea Holland, redshirt-freshman
Emily Harrigan, and junior forward
Amirah Ali each recorded a goal in the win. Senior forward
Brittany LaPlant contributed a career-high three assists, while classmate
Taylor Aylmer added one.
Sophomore
Meagan McClelland, the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week, matched her career high with five saves.
Hofstra's Lucy Shepard scored the goal for the Pride, while goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich recorded four saves.
THE MATCH
Rutgers and Hofstra kicked things off with a balanced match. Moneme notched the Scarlet Knights first shot of the contest, as a field player made the save to deny the goal. However, the Pride's slight 7-6 edge in shots translated to the first score of the game. In the 10th minute, Lucy Shepard would give Hofstra a 1-0 advantage with a shot that slid just by McClelland who came out to the top corner of a the 6-yard box.
McClelland would go on to deny four more Hofstra attempts in the first half to keep it a 1-0 contest. Returning from the break, Rutgers found its momentum. Following a RU throw in the 50th minute, LaPlant sent a volley over a Hofstra defender, setting up Moneme. Moneme then capitalized on the long ball with a grounded shot to balance the match, 1-1.
In the 71st minute, the Scarlet Knights lit up the scoreboard, as Holland ignited the offense. The defender took a long shot from the top of the box through traffic, hitting the target perfectly for a 2-1 cushion on the lead.
About 30 seconds after, Harrigan joined in the scoring to extend the lead to 3-1. LaPlant would find Aylmer at the corner of the box. Aylmer used one touch to set up Harrigan, who would send the shot past three defenders for the goal.
Ali added RU's third goal in the two-minute span. LaPlant and Ali went 2-on-1 with the keeper, as LaPlant passed to an open Ali for the goal.
The second half offensive spark pushed the Scarlet Knights to 5-0 on the year.
UP NEXT
Following five straight home games to start the season, Rutgers travels to Princeton for its first road contest of 2019. Match time is set for 8 p.m. ET.
KNIGHT NOTES
- LaPlant recorded a career-high three assists, marking the first three assists of her career.
- Moneme and Ali lead the team with four goals apiece on the season
- Holland and Harrigan each scored their first career goals in the win.
- McClelland defended five of six shots on goal, allowing just the second goal in five games this year.
- The Scarlet Knights wrap up its nonconference home slate with a 5-0 record. Its final two nonconference matchups will be on the road.
- Across the first five games of the season, Rutgers has matched up with two reigning conference champions in Central Connecticut State (NEC) and Hofstra (CAA). The Scarlet Knights face Princeton, the reigning Ivy League champion, on Saturday.
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