PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In a battle for first place in the Big Ten, the Rutgers men's soccer team (5-1-4, 2-0-1) will welcome No. 8 Maryland (6-1-2, 2-0-1) to Yurcak Field on Tuesday, Oct. 4 for a 7 p.m. contest.
The second straight matchup against a ranked team for the Scarlet Knights will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Last Time Out
With just two seconds left in regulation against No. 11 Ohio State, Thomas DeVizio tallied the equalizer to tie the Buckeyes, 2-2.
MD Myers also found the back of the net for the first score of the contest for her conference-leading seventh goal of the season.
Keep it Going
With wins against Northwestern (4-2) and Wisconsin (2-0) to open Big Ten play, the team's 2-0 start marks the first time the Scarlet Knights have opened league play with consecutive victories since joining the conference.
Rutgers has stayed unbeaten through its last eight games, not dropping a single contest through the entire month of September. The streak dates back to Sept. 2 with a 1-1 draw against Princeton.
The Scarlet Knights have also yet to drop a contest at home this season, collecting three wins and three draws at Yurcak Field in the fall.
Around the League
RU is currently one of three teams at the top of the Big Ten team standing with seven points. Maryland and Michigan State are also tied at the top spot with identical 2-0-1 records. Both the Scarlet Knights and Spartans have played 10 games so far, while the Terrapins have only seen action in nine outings.
Rutgers is also tied with Ohio State for the second most overall wins in the league with four, behind only Maryland with five victories.
B1G Time
Rutgers tops the Big Ten in every offensive statistic except winning goals, where Jason Bouregy is in third with two scores.
MD Myers paces the conference in four categories: goals (7), points (17), shots (37), shots on goal (22). Jackson Temple leads the league in assists with five total on the season so far. He also currently ranks second in goals (5) and points (15) behind only Myers.
With the duo of Myers (17) and Temple (15), Rutgers in the only team in the Big Ten with two players in double-digit points.
Spreading the Love
Through 10 outings, the Scarlet Knights have seen 11 unique goal scorers for a total of 24 goals.
MD Myers leads the pack with seven scores after securing braces against Omaha (Aug. 25) and Yale (Sept. 5) in addition to one-goal outings against Rider (Sept. 9), UAlbany (Sept. 13) and Ohio State (Sept. 30).
Jackson Temple (5), Jason Bouregy (3), Pablo Avila (2), Ian 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 RU.
Welcoming the Newcomers
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 one shutout and three 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.
Looking Into the Terps
Maryland has had a strong start to its season, picking up six wins, including three wins over ranked opponents (No. 9 New Hampshire, No. 21 Georgetown and No. 13 Ohio State).
Nine Terrapins have found the back of the net so far this campaign, each with one goal and no multi-goal scorers. In addition to his one score, Joshua Bolma paces the offense with three assist for five points.
Maryland owns the 2-10-2 all-time edge over Rutgers. However, RU snapped a 10-game losing streak with a win in 2021 and have tied the Terps in the last two outings.
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will continue its homestand against Indiana, who is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches' poll, on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 12 p.m.
