BLOOMINGTON, IND. – Despite a defensive battle from both sides, Rutgers women's soccer was edged by Indiana, 1-0, in overtime on Thursday afternoon.
Junior
Meagan McClelland recorded three saves, as the Scarlet Knight (1-1, 1-1 Big Ten) defense held the Hoosiers (1-1, 1-1 Big Ten) to just five shots and four shots on goal. The box score was balanced with five shots and three on goal for RU, as well.
The Rutgers and Indiana defenses set the pace to start the game, as the Scarlet Knights held the Hoosiers to just two shots in the opening half. McClelland came up with a big stop in the 31st minute.
Shortly after in the 39th minute, freshman
Giana Romano found RU's best chance of the half with a shot on goal. The score, however, would remain knotted at 0-0 moving into halftime.
Throughout the second half, the Scarlet Knights and Hoosiers traded attempts. Rutgers led in shots 4-2, including two on goal. Shots for freshmen
Emily Sapienza in the 70th minute and
Sam Kroeger in the 78th minute were ultimately saved by Indiana's goalkeeper.
McClelland held strong and picked up two more stops in the stanza, pushing the game into overtime.
In the 94th minute, an Indiana corner kick allowed Melanie Forbes to sneak in the goal amidst the shuffle in the box, giving IU the 1-0 edge.
- The match marked Rutgers first game on the road in 2021 and the first away from home since Oct. 27, 2019.
- Dating back to the middle of 2016, Rutgers now holds a record of 15-3-17 in its last 35 overtime contests.
- Five Scarlet Knight newcomers started for RU. Julianne Leskauskas earned her first starting nod, while freshmen Faith Dobosiewicz and Giana Romano made her collegiate debut. Overall, a total of nine newcomers appeared in the game.
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