EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 20 and 7-seed Rutgers women's soccer (13-4-2) dropped a 2-1 final score at No. 12 and 2-seed Northwestern (14-3-2) on Sunday in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
 
Riley Tiernan scored the opening goal in the contest's eighth minute to give Rutgers an early 1-0 lead, but Northwestern equalized before halftime and scored the eventual game-winner in the 53rd minute to advance in the conference bracket.
 
The Scarlet Knights, with an RPI in the high 20's entering the postseason, will await the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 7.
 
In the 8th minute, some early aggressive possession kept the ball at Sam Kroeger's feet on attack before feeding Sara Brocious on a run into the box. Brocious played a diagonal ball toward the back post, where Tiernan was charging to redirect the shot to the far post and into the side netting for the 1-0 lead.
 
The Wildcats equalized in the 22nd minute on a long unassisted shot from about 25 yards away from net that found the left side of the goal.
 
Shortly after, Becci Fluchel had an excellent chance at the same far post that Tiernan scored earlier, but the Northwestern defense just barely got back in time to disrupt the opportunity and keep the game knotted. The two sides went into halftime tied at 1-1 and with Northwestern leading in shots on goal, 4-2.
 
The Wildcats increased pressure in the second half, which paid off in the 53rd, when a bouncing insert got passed both teams and snuck into the corner of the net. The score held up as the game-winner as Northwestern's defense clamped down and allowed just three Rutgers shots, one of which was on target, over the final 45 minutes.
 
Overall, Northwestern led, 17-10, in shot attempts and 9-3 in shots on goal. Tiernan and junior back Emma Misal took the shots on target for RU. Brocious, Fluchel, Allison Lynch, and Kassidy Banks put in 90-minute efforts in the postseason battle.
 
KNIGHT NOTES

• Career goal marks: Tiernan (12)
• Riley Tiernan has scored three goals over her last five matches.
• Career assist marks: Sam Kroeger (12), Sara Brocious (16)
• Rutgers is now 4-3-2 against Northwestern. This is the second meeting in the Big Ten Tournament after Rutgers won 1-0 in the 2016 semifinals.
• All-Big Ten First Team defender Emily Mason did not play due to injury.

 
 
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