PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team (6-2-5, 2-1-2) will get back to Big Ten play as the team travels to Michigan State (5-5-2, 2-1-1) on Sunday, Oct. 16 for a 2 p.m. contest.
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights earned a 2-0 shutout win in the program's first-ever meeting against Stony Brook (4-8, 2-4) on Oct. 12 under the lights at Yurcak Field.
Pablo Avila and MD Myers found the back of the net for the Scarlet Knights in the victory while freshman goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton made four saves for his second clean sheet of the season.
Around the League
With eight points, Rutgers is currently tied with Penn State (5-3-3, 2-0-2) for second place in the Big Ten standings. Maryland (7-1-3, 3-0-2) leads the league with 11 points.
B1G Time
MD Myers currently tops the Big Ten in four of six offensive statistical categories. He paces the conference in goals (11), points (25), shots (47), shots on goal (28).
Jackson Temple and Jason Bouregy also represent RU in the stats, ranking second and third in assists (5).
Rutgers leads the Big Ten in several categories including assists (29), total goals (30) and total points (89).
The Doctor is In
Since transferring to Rutgers in the offseason from High Point, Myers has burst onto the scene and made a huge impact in the Big Ten.
Myers stands out when looking around the nation, ranking first in shots on goal per game (2.15), goals (11) and second in total points (25).
The senior forward is the only player in the league to reach 10+ goals in addition to 20+ points with 11 tallies and 25 points. He leads the scoring runner up by five tallies and the second-most points getter by 14.
Through 13 games this fall, Myers has found the back of the net in eight contests, including the last four. He has also recorded points in nine outings.
The Delran, New Jersey product has converted three penalty kicks this slate on four attempts.
Spreading the Love
Through 13 games, the Scarlet Knights have seen 11 unique goal scorers for 30 goals and 89 points.
MD Myers leads the pack with 11 scores after securing braces against Omaha (Aug. 25), Yale (Sept. 5) and Maryland (Oct. 4) in addition to one-goal outings against Rider (Sept. 9), UAlbany (Sept. 13), Ohio State (Sept. 30), Indiana (Oct. 9) and Stony Brook (Oct. 12).
Temple (5), Pablo Avila (4), Bouregy (3), an Abbey (1), Joey Zalinsky (1), Ola Maeland (1), Bryan Keating (1), Cole Cruthers (1), Hugo Le Guennec (1) and Tommy DeVizio (1) have all also added goals for the Scarlet Knights.
Welcoming the Newcomers
Head coach Jim McElderry and his staff added 11 newcomers to the squad in the offseason, including three transfers and seven freshmen.
Transfers MD Myers (High Point), Saahb Kular (Cleveland State), Nick Spittle (Seneca [OCAA]), Zach Riviere (Georgetown) and freshmen William Baker, Sam Delgado, Ian Abbey, Nestor Cabrera, Cole Cruthers, Ciaran Dalton and Dylan Van Der Walt were all welcomed to the team.
The freshmen trio of Abbey, Cruthers and Dalton have made an impact on the team this season, all recording starts. Dalton tops the goalkeepers with two shutouts and four wins while Abbey and Cruthers have each added goals.
Back Again
The Scarlet Knights return 20 student-athletes overall and 11 players with eight or more starts from the 2021 roster that went 9-6-2, the most wins in a campaign since 2015. Notably, All-Region and All-Big Ten selection Jackson Temple and All-Big Ten Freshman Team picks Matthew Acosta and Joey Zalinsky will be returning to the roster.
Graduate students Thomas DeVizio and Pablo Avila made the decision in the offseason to return to the pitch for their final year of eligibility. Last season, the two veterans combined for 13 points, including three goals and seven assists.
Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State has put together a strong season, recording five total wins. Three of those wins have come in the last five games, most recently defeating Saint Mary's, 2-1.
The Spartans have faced four ranked opponents, dropping contests to then-No. 4 Notre Dame (2-3), then-No. 14 Akron (0-2) and then-No. 4 Washington (1-4). The team did draw then-No. 16 Indiana at the end of September, 1-1.
Michigan State is currently tied for third place in the Big Ten with Ohio State, earning seven points so far this season.
The opposition owns the 1-6-1 all-time edge over Rutgers. RU's only win came on Feb. 29, 2021 with a 2-0 win on the road. Rutgers took Michigan State into overtime in the teams' last meeting, but dropped the 2-1 decision in extra time.
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will continue with league play as it returns home to face Michigan on Friday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
