Starting XI: No. 6 Women's Soccer vs. UNLV

Aug 20 | Women's Soccer

2022 Season Primer 2022 Record Book

The 11 things to know before the Scarlet Knights face the Rebels in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – No. 6 Rutgers women's soccer (1-0-0) continues its season-opening road trip against UNLV (0-1-0) on Sun., Aug. 21 at 12:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. MT) on the neutral UNM Soccer Complex. It's the second and final match for the Scarlet Knights at the Lobo Invitational after opening the 2022 season with a 1-0 victory over host New Mexico on Thursday evening.

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HOW TO FOLLOW: Live Stats

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PREVIOUSLY ON
The Scarlet Knights shut out New Mexico by a 1-0 score in the 2022 season opener on Thursday evening at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Scarlet Knights won their seventh consecutive season opener and remained unbeaten in season openers for 21-straight years dating back to 2001.

Rutgers junior forward Allison Lowrey opened the season's scoring in the 22nd minute as the Scarlet Knights mounted a swift counter from the midfield line. Sophomore forward Riley Tiernan received the pass from the midfield circle, touching just ahead to junior midfielder Sara Brocious, who saw the slot and fed Lowrey into space. Lowrey took one clean touch before burying the shot into the left side of the net.

🗣️🎙️ Allison Lowrey scored the game-winner, Adriana Kuryla celebrated her birthday with a shutout on the backline, and they break down the 1-0, season-opening victory at New Mexico.#WeNeverStop /// #ForeverRutgers pic.twitter.com/Etv8TGtoz5
— RUTGERS WOMEN'S SOCCER (@RUWSoccer) August 19, 2022

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SCOUTING THE REBELS: UNLV starts its season 0-1 following a 2-1 loss to CSU Bakersfield in the Lobo Invitational opener on Thursday. All three goals were scored in the second half. The Rebels equalized in the 65th minute before Bakersfield went ahead in the 79th.

UNLV returns seniors Hevani Haunga (5 goals), Jules Dominguez (2 goals), and Taylie Liddell (3 goals) from the squad that went 12-8 in 2021 with a 5-6 finish in the Mountain West. The Rebels' biggest win last season came by way of a 2-1 victory against New Mexico, the eventual MW regular season and tournament champions.

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A NEW CHALLENGE: The Scarlet Knights are opening a season with consecutive matches away from Piscataway for the first time since 2006 (a pair of road wins at James Madison and Richmond). The upcoming Aug. 25 road date at Providence will mark the first time RU plays three matches away from home to start a season since 2001.

Rutgers will play two brand new opponents at the Lobos Invitational, facing New Mexico and UNLV for the first time in program history.

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RUTGERS RANKED: RU has been ranked No. 6 in the nation entering the 2022 season in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's Preseason Poll. The Scarlet Knights have now been ranked or received votes in the national preseason poll in 11 of the last 13 seasons.

The Scarlet Knights were ranked No. 25 one year ago in the 2021 preseason poll before winning a Big Ten title. Rutgers is the top ranked Big Ten program in the 2022 preseason poll, followed by No. 9 Michigan and No. 14 Penn State. Purdue and Wisconsin are also receiving votes.

The Big Ten coaches voted Rutgers to repeat as conference champions, coming in a first-place tie with Penn State in the annual preseason poll. The poll marks the first time in Rutgers Athletics history a Scarlet Knight team has been picked No. 1, and it also marks the first time in conference history the women's soccer preseason poll resulted in a tie for the top spot.

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THE CLEANEST SHEET: With a shutout in the season opener, graduate student goalkeeper Meagan McClelland opens the 2022 season as the NCAA Division I career leader in shutouts with 37. The Kearny keeper recorded 13 shutouts and 83 saves on the year in 2021, including five clean sheets against league opponents in the run to the conference title. She maintained a 0.67 GAA in net, helping RU extend its streak to eight straight seasons registering a GAA of 0.77 or less.

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GUESS WHO'S BACK?: Rutgers returns nine starters (15 or more starts) and 17 letterwinners from the 2021 College Cup squad.

Returning "On the Banks" this fall are Big Ten Freshman of the Year and All-Region First Team performer Riley Tiernan (an NCAA Division I Preseason Player to Watch) and All-Region goalkeeper Meagan McClelland. Junior midfielder Becci Fluchel (All-Big Ten Second Team) also returns with All-Conference honors from last fall.

Graduate student back Adriana Kuryla celebrated her birthday in the season-opening win at New Mexico by playing all 90 minutes in the shut out after playing in just two matches last season due to injuries.

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NEW KIDS "ON THE BANKS": Coach Mike O'Neill signed five freshmen to the 2022 roster (Hannah Blodget, Olivia Bodmer, Mallory McGuire, Allie Post, and Naila Schoefberger) and welcomed five transfers to the mix (Niamh Cashin - Rider, Hailey Gutowski - Temple, Jessica Schildkraut - Columbia, Emily Smith - American, and Naya Vialva - La Salle)

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NO SHOT: The Scarlet Knights defensive units have posted a 0.77 or less goals-against average in each of the previous eight seasons, due in large part to stingy shot stopping. While all-time goalkeeping greats Casey Murphy and Meagan McClelland have done their fair share, the backs in front of the net carry a streak of 54 consecutive matches of allowing single-digit shots on target.

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PLAYERS TO WATCH: Three returners from the 2021 College Cup squad have been honored as 2022 Big Ten Women's Soccer Players to Watch: Graduate student goalkeeper Meagan McClelland, junior midfielder Sara Brocious, and sophomore forward Riley Tiernan.

McClelland earned All-Big Ten Third Team and All-Region Third Team honors in 2021 after protecting the net on the run to the NCAA Women's College Cup. In the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight match against TCU, she made eight saves before saving three consecutive penalties and scoring one of her own in the victorious shootout. In another shootout in the next round against Arkansas, McClelland saved a PK and scored another to punch the Scarlet Knights' ticket to the Final Four.
Brocious started in all 25 matches during the 2021 College Cup season, ranking fifth on the squad with 14 points on four goals and six assists while playing 1,976 minutes, coming in second among field players on the team last fall. Finding a knack for clutch situations, Brocious provided an assist in the 2-2 overtime win over Arkansas in the NCAA quarterfinals, and scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Wisconsin that clinched the Big Ten title.
Tiernan was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the ECAC Rookie of the Year, and a United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team selection following a breakout first year "On the Banks" featuring 29 points on eight goals and a team-best 13 assists, which marked a new program record for a single season. The Voorhees, New Jersey native also garnered All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors while sparking an offense that outscored opponents 64-17 on the year, which ended in the program's second College Cup appearance in seven years. Tiernan started in all 25 matches during the College Cup season, including all 10 regular season conference games that led to a perfect 10-0 record and the school's first-ever Big Ten title. She passed out five assists in Big Ten matches, which was tied for first in the conference in 2021.

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SOPHOMORE STUDS: Sophomore forward Riley Tiernan is on the 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List after becoming a unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team along with her Freshman of the Year award last season. She also checks in at No. 42 this season in the Top Drawer Soccer Top 100 Players to Watch list. Sophomore back Kassidy Banks (No. 81 in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 100 Players to Watch) and sophomore midfielder Kylie Daigle also return with Big Ten All-Freshman honors from last fall.

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