PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's soccer (3-4-0) welcomes Northwestern (2-6-1) on Sunday, April 4 at 1 p.m. ET at Yurcak Field, airing live on Big Ten Network+. The Scarlet Knights will honor their Rutgers graduates - Ritchie Barry, Vincent Borden, Kyle Galloway, and Vincenzo Pugliese - in a brief prematch ceremony.

I HOW TO FOLLOW: Big Ten Network+ (Play-by-play: Lou Brogno; Analyst: Patrick Boyle) | Live Stats | WRSU 88.7 FM | @RUMensSoccer

II ATTENDANCE: In accordance with the Big Ten Conference and Governor's Office policies, Yurcak Field will allow a maximum of 750 spectators, which is 15 percent of capacity in the 5,000-seat venue. This measure allows for adequate physical distancing within the facility. Fans planning to attend must follow these guidelines:

• Fill out this online form to submit information for the purposes of contact tracing: Contact Tracing Form
• Spectators are encouraged to fill out the form prior to arriving on campus.
• Spectators will be required to show proof of a completed online form upon entry. A confirmation email will be sent upon completion of the online form.
• Fans are encouraged to arrive early. Attendance is first-come, first-serve, counted by a clicker at the gate to adhere to the capacity restrictions.
• Tailgating in campus lots before or after Rutgers Athletics events is prohibited.
• Rutgers Athletics encourages its fans and supporters to continue to take all necessary measures and follow the guidance of public health officials, including wearing a mask, practicing physical distancing and increased hand hygiene.

III LAST TIME OUT: Facing its second Top 10 opponent in three matches, Rutgers dropped a 3-0 final score to No. 9 Indiana on March 27 at Yurcak Field. The Scarlet Knights and Hoosiers tied in shots 10-10, with RU ahead 5-4 in shots on goal, but Indiana made their chances count with an early opening goal in the sixth minute, and a pair of second-half insurance markers in the 63^rd and 80^th minutes. Freshman forward Moussa Sabaly led the Rutgers offensive opportunities with three shots on goal

IV SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: Northwestern is winless since a thrilling 1-0 victory over a nationally ranked Indiana squad indoors on Feb. 27. Since the monumental win, the 'Cats have gone 0-5-1, including three consecutive losses to Penn State, Indiana, and Maryland. Sophomore forward Ugo Achara Jr. leads the offense with 11 points, with his five goals ranking second in the Big Ten. 

V HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN
EVANSTON, Ill. (Oct. 20, 2019) - The Wildcats got two goals in the first half from Jose Del Valle and Logan Weaver and held on for a 2-0 win. Miha Miskovic picked up two saves in the shutout.

Series: Northwestern is 5-3 since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, including a 4-3 mark in the regular season and a win in the 2017 conference tournament. The home team has won the last three matchups in the series.

VI RITCHIE ROLLIN': Senior Ritchie Barry, a transfer from St. Joseph's, is ranked third in the Big Ten with four goals this season. That gives him 17 goals for his career. The Wales native cut Penn State's two-goal lead in half last Monday at Penn State with a well-placed and hard-struck header off a Nick Cruz corner kick. Two of his goals have gone down as game-winners for the Scarlet Knights.

VII TO ASHER WE SHALL RETURN: Sophomore goalkeeper Oren Asher, who is ranked second in the Big Ten with three shutouts, earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for a second time this season after his 2-0 shutout against Maryland and an eight-save performance in the 1-0 setback to No. 9 Michigan. Also earning the distinction after opening week on Feb. 24, Asher became the first Scarlet Knights to earn multiple Defensive Player of the Week awards from the Big Ten, and the first Scarlet Knight overall to earn multiple weekly conference awards in a season since Jason Wright in 2015.

VIII 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 six 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. 

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 (4) and freshman Colin Beasley (1) have scored goals for RU, while Moussa Sabaly made the starting lineup in all seven matches for RU, picking up his first collegiate point with an assist in the win over Maryland. Ola Maeland has played impactful minutes over the last six outings, with an average of 30 minutes per match over that span and earning his first start last time out against Indiana. Meet the newest Scarlet Knights. 
 
 
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