PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's soccer (9-5-2, 3-4-1) finished the regular season in style with a 4-0 victory over Ohio State (6-8-1, 2-5-0) on Sunday at Yurcak Field. The Scarlet Knights qualify for the 2021 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will travel to 3-seed Indiana for the quarterfinals on Sunday, Nov. 7.
The 4-0 score is Rutgers' most lopsided win since joining the Big Ten in 2014. It also marks the most goals in a Big Ten game for the Scarlet Knights since 2015, and the most in any game since a 4-1 victory over Lafayette on Oct. 16, 2018.
Junior
Jackson Temple led the offensive onslaught with four points on a goal and two assists. Sophomore
Ola Maeland netted the opener and the effective game-winner, while sophomore
Colin Beasley posted his first two goals of the season late in the second half.
"We're really proud of the group," said head coach
Jim McElderry. "It's tough coming into these knockout type games, and there is pressure on the guys because they felt if we didn't get the result, if we didn't qualify for the conference playoffs, it would be a disappointing season for us. I was really proud of their approach. Ohio State has some excellent players, so for us to put that performance together, some guys really stepped up."
Junior goalkeeper
Oren Asher made four saves – two in each half – for the shutout. Asher's seven clean sheets are the most by an RU goalkeeper in a season since David Greczek's eight in 2015.
Maeland opened the scoring in the 35
th minute, burying a rebound after Temple's shot was saved and rolled into Maeland's path. Temple then got his own early in the second half in the 48
th, when his pressure on the Buckeye defense resulted in a giveaway. Temple took over and beat the keeper on the breakaway.
Beasley piled on with two goals in four minutes, starting in the 81
st with a rocket to the left-side netting after a feed from
Thomas DeVizio, who celebrated his Senior Day. Beasley made it 4-0 in the 85
th after a Temple pass freed space for a dipping shot over the keeper and under the crossbar from about 20 yards out.
Temple collected his team-leading sixth goal of the year, and now also leads the club with 14 points. His six goals are tied for second in the Big Ten heading into the conference tournament.
Maeland scored his second of the season and third of his career, while Beasley also makes in three career goals with his first two of the season.
The Buckeyes outshot the Scarlet Knights 13-5 in the second half, and 16-13 in the match, but Rutgers was more dangerous with a 7-4 edge in shots on goal.
The Buckeyes' lead in the all-time series narrows to 5-3 since 2014 when Rutgers joined the Big Ten. The RU win disrupts Ohio State's two-match winning streak. Rutgers' last win came in 2018, and the last home win was in 2015.
Gallery: (10-31-2021) Men's Soccer vs. Ohio State (Senior Day)
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