ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – No. 6 Rutgers women's soccer (2-0-0) ran past UNLV (0-2-0) with five different goal scorers contributing to a dominant 5-1 victory on the neutral UNM Soccer Complex on Sunday at the Lobo Invitational. The team's five goals were its most in a match away from home since 2015.
 
The Scarlet Knights scored early and often en route to starting the season 2-0 for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Just 1:01 elapsed from the clock when Gia Girman got Rutgers on the board off an assist from Allison Lowrey. It was the first point of an offensively productive day for Lowrey, who also assisted Sara Brocious' goal in the 19th minute and scored goal No. 4 in the 31st.
 
Sandwiched in between Lowrey's offensive display was an unassisted blast by Sam Kroeger to the top right corner for the 3-0 lead in the 26th minute. Kroeger matched her career-high three points in a match, adding an assist on Lowrey's goal off a corner kick.
 
The Rebels got one back in the 76th minute, but Rutgers was quick to respond. Just four minutes after UNLV's tally, Hailey Gutowski regained the four-goal cushion with a marker in the 80th off some quick passing from Riley Tiernan and Allie Post, who picked up assists on the play. It was Tiernan's fourth career multi-assist game and Post's first collegiate point.
 
Meanwhile, the defense limited the Rebels' chances with just 10 total shots allowed and four on goal. Meagan McClelland allowed one goal with two saves in 80-plus minutes. Cameron Kennett played the final scoreless nine-plus minutes in net with a save.
 
RU outshot UNLV, 16-10, with a similar advantage in shots on target, 10-4. Lowrey, Gutowski, and Tiernan all placed two shots on target in the victory.
 
KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers recorded its most goals in a match away from home since a 5-0 win at Princeton on Sept. 5, 2014.
• The Scarlet Knights have now started 2-0 in five of the last six seasons.
• Gia Girman netted her first collegiate goal in her first collegiate start. The sophomore played in 19 games as a rookie last season.
• Allison Lowrey notched a career-best four points in the win. She also recorded her second-career match with multiple assists (2 in a 2-1 win at Ohio State, Oct. 3, 2021). It was career goal No. 10.
• Sara Brocious netted goal No. 6 for her career.
• Sam Kroeger matched her career-best three points from her collegiate debut (3 points on a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over Penn State on Feb. 19, 2021). It was career goal No. 7 and assist No. 8.
• Tiernan, who led the team in assists with 13 as a freshman one year ago, upped her young career helper total to 16 with two against UNLV. This is her fourth career multi-assist match.
• Hailey Gutowski scored her first goal for Rutgers after transferring from Temple, where she scored 14 times over four seasons.
• Allie Post recorded her first collegiate point with an assist in her second match.
• Freshmen Hannah Blodget, Mallory McGuire, and Naila Schoefberger made their collegiate debuts in the victory, while transfers Naya Vialva and Emily Smith made their first appearances in Rutgers uniforms.
• 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).

 
UP NEXT: The Scarlet Knights return to the East Coast, but play another road match at Providence on Thurs., Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. The contest will mark the first time Rutgers plays three consecutive matches away from home to start a season since 2001.
 
 
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