WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – No. 16/15 Rutgers women's soccer topped Monmouth by a score of 6-0 on Friday afternoon in West Long Branch. A total of six different Scarlet Knights contributed to scoring as RU improved to a record of 3-0 on the year.
Freshman
Kylie Daigle led the team with the first two goals of her career, standing second on the team with six points this year (2g, 2a). Senior
Frankie Tagliaferri, the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, followed with a goal and an assist in the win. Tagliaferri owns a team-high 12 points (4g, 4a) on the season.
"Over the past few days we've dealt with a lot of adversity, with the storm causing changes in our schedules, including an away game at the last second. We did a great job today dealing with those challenges and putting our best foot forward to pull out the win. The team was definitely on the same page. The chemistry between the midfield and forwards, and our constant movement and rotation, definitely allowed us to get a lot of goals on the board again," said Daigle.
Sophomore
Sam Kroeger added her third goal of the year, senior
Gabby Provenzano added her first of the season, and junior
Maddie Brant added the first of her career.
Freshman
Riley Tiernan, the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, recorded her fourth assist of the season, while sophomore
Giana Romano registered her second career helper.
"On the attacking side we have been clicking right from the start and have a great balance of veterans and returners. We have a lot of attacking personalities and fire power from the forwards and midfielders this year. This is the most goals we have scored in a while and it feels great," said Provenzano.
In the first match of the season away from Yurcak Field, having to relocate due to flooding from Hurricane Ida, RU maintained its offensive momentum having scored five or more goals in its first three contests. It marks the first time since the program's inaugural season in 1984 that RU has posted five or more goals in three straight contests. A total of 13 different Scarlet Knights have now contributed to scoring this year.
"It's great that we have so many different players contributing to the goal scoring. Hopefully we can take this depth and confidence into Sunday's match and the rest of the season. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish moving forward," said Romano.
Rutgers held Monmouth to three shots overall in the match, marking the 20th straight game the Scarlet Knights have held their opponent to single-digit shots overall dating back to 2019.
"As a team we always talk about how everyone attacks and everyone defends. This team prides ourselves on getting clean sheets and we did just that today. Going into every game our mentality is to get a shutout. Our strength defensively today came from our organization and communication which allowed us to win the ball back fast," said Provenzano.
Up next, Rutgers returns home to host La Salle on Sunday, Sept. 5. Match time is set for 1 p.m. ET at Yurcak Field. Admission and parking is free.
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