Women’s Soccer Spring 2021 Recap
6/9/2021
When Rutgers women’s soccer took the field for its 2021 Spring season opener, a span of 462 days had passed since the program’s final NCAA Tournament game of 2019. Though a year’s time between matches had passed with adversity beyond the field of play, the Scarlet Knights came together as a family to pick up right where they left off in 2019 – and push even further.
Through it all, Rutgers concluded the year ranked No. 24 in the nation, having appeared in the national rankings for the 13th straight seasons. The Scarlet Knights advanced to their second straight Big Ten Semifinal and fourth overall, finishing the regular season in the Top 3 of the league for the third consecutive year. RU earned a bid to its ninth straight NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Second Round for the first time since 2017.
An overall record of 9-3-4 was boosted by a 6-2-3 Big Ten mark and 5-0 undefeated record at home. Along the way, RU produced a program-record seven All-Big Ten honorees, two First Team All-Region selections, a First Team All-American, and a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist.
In the classroom, the Scarlet Knights boosted a 3.602 spring team grade point average. The academic accolades were plentiful with a Scholar All-American and All-Region selection, 17 Academic All-Big Ten selections, and 17 Dean’s List honorees.
WALL OF ACCOLADES
Senior Amirah Ali highlighted the program’s 2021 accolades, becoming the first three-time All-American in program history. Ali, a 2021 Senior CLASS Award Finalist, was honored as a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist for the second straight season.
Seven Scarlet Knights claimed All-Big Ten recognition - Ali (First Team), Gabby Provenzano (First Team), Meagan McClelland (Second Team), and Nneka Moneme (Third Team), Sam Kroeger (All-Freshman Team), Becci Fluchel (All-Freshman Team), and Emma Misal (All-Freshman Team).
The total tied the most conference honors since having seven earn recognition in 2018. The Scarlet Knights picked up multiple First Team honorees for the first time since 2015, as well as matching the most All-Freshman honorees since 2016.
Ali and Provenzano earned All-Region First Team honors, marking five consecutive seasons with multiple honorees and eight straight years with at least one selection. The duo was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
PURSUIT OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
After earning its 10th consecutive United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for 2019-20, the Scarlet Knights continued its pursuit of academic excellence. Seventeen student-athletes were named to the Dean’s List, including 25 with a 3.0 or higher GPAs (96% of the roster) and three with flawless 4.0s.
Amirah Ali, Hayley Baer, Nicole Binkley, Maddie Brant, Aolani Colón, Mya Daniels, Dana Goldstein, Emily Harrigan, Shea Holland, Emma Huntzinger, Allison Lynch, Meagan McClelland, Nneka Moneme, Emma Pascarella, Gabby Provenzano, and Grace Walter all collected Academic All-Big Ten honors.
Three Scarlet Knights - Aolani Colon, Dana Goldstein, Gabby Provenzano – were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
Additionally, Provenzano was named a Scholar All-America Second Team selection and a Scholar All-Region First Team honoree. She became the third Scholar All-American in the last four seasons for Rutgers, makring the second consecutive year an RU student-athlete was recognized.
CONSISTENT NATIONAL PROMINENCE
Rutgers finished the year ranked No. 24 in the nation, having climbed as high as 17 in the 2021 United Soccer Coaches spring rankings. The Scarlet Knights have been ranked or receiving votes in the poll for 13 straight seasons.
RU strengthened its national contention streak to a ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, 11th in the last 13 years and 15th overall.
SHUTOUT SOCCER
Rutgers recorded a total of seven shutouts this spring, holding all opponents to single-digit shots on goal. Nine of those opponents where held to single-digit shots overall.
The Scarlet Knights have not posted a goals-against average higher than 1.06 (since 2008), nine times recording a GAA under 1.00, and eight times posting a GAA under 0.65. This season, goalkeeper Meagan McClelland and the team led the Big Ten with a GAA of 0.64.
THANK YOU, SENIORS
Rutgers graduated three seniors in Aolani Colon, Dana Goldstein and Nneka Moneme, a trio that were significant in elevating the program’s standard during their time “On the Banks”.
The group helped guide RU to the NCAA Tournament all four years and two Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Each also contributed a plethora of accolades to the program’s history books.
FALL 2021 OUTLOOK
Led by seniors Amirah Ali, Gabby Provenzano, and Adriana Kuryla, who will be back for Fall 2021, Rutgers returns a core group of veterans and letterwinners. Additionally, the program will add the No. 7 ranked recruiting class in the nation, as well as welcoming an All-American graduate transfer.
