PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's soccer (3-1-0) hosts No. 9 Michigan (2-0-0) on Sunday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Yurcak Field.

All events at Rutgers Athletics venues for the 2020-21 competition year will operate in accordance with current statewide restrictions on indoor and outdoor public gatherings. Access to events will be limited to athletes, coaches, trainers and other necessary game day personnel. As a result, soccer matches will not be open to the public this season. For more information, click here.

I HOW TO FOLLOW: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Radio | @RUMensSoccer

II LAST TIME OUT: Senior Ritchie Barry scored both goals and sophomore Oren Asher led the defense to its third shutout as Rutgers men's soccer (3-1-0) earned the 2-0 victory over Maryland (0-3-0), the first over the Terrapins since joining the Big Ten, on Wednesday afternoon outdoors at the Scarlet Knights Club Field.

III SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: Michigan has risen to No. 9 in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll with a 2-0-0 start to the Spring season. They haven't played in eight days after beating Northwestern (4-1) and Michigan State (1-0). Michigan has scored five goals from five different players: Marc Ybarra, Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi, Cameron Martin, Jackson Ragen and Kevin Buca. Through two matches, Buca leads the team with four points. 

Since allowing a goal at the 5:06 mark of the team's opening match against Northwestern, the Michigan defense has clamped down, allowing only 10 shots (including three shots-on-goal) in nearly 175 minutes of play. Despite playing a man down for the entire second half against Michigan State on Feb. 23, the Wolverine defense conceded only two shots-on-goal to the Spartans.

IV THE SERIES: Michigan is 5-2-2 against Rutgers all-time since 2004, 3-1-2 as Big Ten regular season opponents, and 1-0 in the Big Ten Tournament. In 2019, the match was a draw as RU earned a point off Michigan for the first time since 2016. Michigan is 2-1-1 when the match is played in New Jersey.

V LAST TIME VS. MICHIGAN: ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2019) – No. 24 Rutgers men's soccer and Michigan played to a 1-1 draw in a weather shorten Big Ten opener at U-M Soccer Stadium with play suspended in the 72^nd minute. Michigan scored early in the third minute, Rutgers got its equalizer on a PK in the 25th, and Oren Asher made three of his four saves in the shortened second half.

VI RITCHIE ROLLIN': Senior Ritchie Barry, a transfer from St. Joseph's, is tied for second in the Big Ten with three goals this season. That gives him 16 goals for his career. The free kick specialist bent a beautiful direct shot from 23 yards out for an important insurance goal against Maryland in the 63rd minute on Wednesday, as the Scarlet Knights were playing with 10 men for the final 39 minutes of the contest. 

VII TEMPLE TIME: Sophomore midfielder Jackson Temple was named to the National Team of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer after opening week, and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week following Week 2.The Millville, Pa. native has at least two points in three of four matches, scoring the lone goal in the 1-0 win at Wisconsin. Temple had his hand in all three Rutgers goals through the first two matches of the season. He assisted both tallies in the 2-0 victory at Michigan State, which was the program's first win against the Spartans and the first win a Big Ten opener since 2014. Temple then scored RU's goal in the 2-1 setback to No. 20 Penn State, burying a penalty in the 33^rd minute to draw the Scarlet Knights even. 

VIII BETWEEN THE PIPES: Sophomore goalkeeper Oren Asher, ranked first in the Big Ten with three shutouts and second in save percentage (.875) and goals-against average (0.50), was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after opening week. It was Rutgers' second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor since joining the conference in 2014, and the first since David Greczek got the nod four seasons ago in September 2016. Asher made five saves in the 2-0 shutout victory at Michigan State, Rutgers' first win against the Spartans and the program's first victory in a conference opener since 2014. Four of the five stops came during crunch time to preserve the clean sheet, making stops in the 72nd, 73rd, 84th and 89th minutes. He then picked up his \ second shutout of the season at Wisconsin, stopping a penalty kick in the 55th minute, and a third with four saves in the 2-0 shutout against Maryland.

IX PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Big Ten Conference announced Pablo Avila, Hugo Le Guennec and Jackson Temple as Rutgers Players to Watch for the 2021 Spring Season. Avila, a junior from Terrassa, Spain, is returning as the team's leading point scorer with six goals and two assists, earning a nod to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Le Guennec and Temple were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2019, and return with big expectations for their sophomore years "On the Banks." Le Guennec, a back out of Massy, France, contributed to Rutgers' four shutouts and an exceptional 0.84 goals-against average during the 6-0-2 start. Temple, a unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, was the team's second-leading point scorer with five goals.

X EARNED EXPERIENCE: RU returns 14 letterwinners from last season, including eight of 11 starters. Junior Pablo Avila is the leading returning point scorer with six goals and two assists from last season. Junior Thomas DeVizio has 30 appearances on the backline, where he's joined by Le Guennec, Borden. Senior midfielder Kyle Galloway has played in 39 career games, joined by senior Vincenzo Pugliese (31 career appearances) and junior Nick Cruz (27 games played). A young attacking front includes sophomores Anthony O'Donnell and Randy Arronis, who both picked up their first collegiate points last season as freshmen.

XI NEW BLOOD: The Scarlet Knights have the No. 26 nationally ranked recruiting class heading into the season, according to Top Drawer Soccer. Coach McElderry and staff welcomed 12 newcomers to the roster - 11 freshmen and senior transfer Ritchie Barry from St. Joseph's. Barry (3) and freshman Colin Beasley (1) have scored goals for RU, while Moussa Sabaly made the starting lineup in all four matches for RU, picking up his first collegiate point with an assist on Barry's first goal . Ola Maeland has played impactful minutes over the last three outings, contributing 30 minutes in the Wisconsin win. Meet the newest Scarlet Knights. 
 
 
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