Rutgers University
Indiana
Men's Soccer Set to Host Indiana on Sunday Afternoon
Oct 07 | Men's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team (5-2-4, 2-1-1) will continue Big Ten play against Indiana (5-2-3, 1-1-2) on Sunday, Oct. 9 at Yurcak Field for a 12 p.m. game.
The contest will be a part of a doubleheader with the Rutgers women's soccer team set to also play the Hoosiers at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Last Time Out
RU dropped a tough 3-2 decision to No. 8 Maryland on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The Scarlet Knights struck first as MD Myers scored back-to-back goals in the 20th and 22nd minutes to give his team a convincing 2-0 lead.
Three minutes later, the Terrapins found the back of the net to cut into RU's lead, 2-1, and cap the first half. Out of the locker room, Maryland continued to attack on offense, tallying two more goals in the second 45 minutes to take home the 3-2 win.
Around the League
With seven points, RU is currently tied with Michigan State (4-4-2, 2-0-1) for second place in the Big Ten standings. Maryland (7-1-2, 3-0-1) leads the league with 10 points.
B1G Time
Rutgers tops the Big Ten in every offensive statistic except winning goals, where Jason Bouregy is fifth with two scores.
Myers paces the conference in four categories: goals (9), points (21), shots (42), shots on goal (24). 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 (21) and Temple (15), Rutgers is one of two teams in the Big Ten with two players in double-digit points.
Spreading the Love
Through 11 outings, the Scarlet Knights have seen 11 unique goal scorers for a total of 24 goals.
MD Myers leads the pack with nine 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) and Ohio State (Sept. 30).
Temple (5), 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.
Scouting the Hoosiers
Indiana has gone unbeaten through its last four games with two wins and two ties. The team defeated Notre Dame (1-0) in its most recent outing to pick up their fifth victory of the season.
The Hoosiers have faced four ranked opponents this season, dropping contests to then top-ranked Clemson (2-3) and then-No. 22 Ohio State (1-2) but defeating then-No. 9 Akron (2-0) and then-No. 20 Butler (2-1).
Ryan Wittenbrink paces the team with five goals and three assists for 13 points, the third highest in the Big Ten.
The Hoosiers own the 3-10-2 edge over the Scarlet Knights in the all-time series. Last season, RU defeated Indiana (2-1) for their first win over the opponent in five seasons.
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will finish out its home stand against Stony Brook on Wednesday, Oct. 12 for a 7 p.m. start.
