Starting XI: No. 3 Women's Soccer at Providence

Aug 24 | Women's Soccer

Watch on FloFC Live Stats 2022 Record Book

The 11 things to know before the Scarlet Knights face the Friars in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – No. 3 Rutgers women's soccer (2-0-0) concludes its season-opening, three-match road trip at Providence (1-1-0) on Thurs., Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. ET on Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium.

I

HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch on FloFC | Live Stats

II

PREVIOUSLY ON...
Rutgers ran past UNLV with five different goal scorers contributing to a dominant 5-1 victory on the neutral UNM Soccer Complex on Sunday at the Lobo Invitational. Gia Girman opened the scoring just 1:01 into the contest, and Sara Brocious, Sam Kroeger, Allison Lowrey, and Hailey Gutowski followed with goals in the offensive outburst. Riley Tiernan and Lowrey each had two assists, with Kroeger, Brocious and Allie Post also adding helpers in the victory.

Rutgers recorded its most goals in a match away from home since a 5-0 win at Princeton on Sept. 5, 2014.

🗣️🎙️ Sara Brocious & Sam Kroeger both scored in the five-goal explosion against UNLV on Sunday. They sound off on the goals, the team's 2-0 start, and the New Mexico experience.#WeNeverStop /// #ForeverRutgers pic.twitter.com/VIn2WH868P
— RUTGERS WOMEN'S SOCCER (@RUWSoccer) August 22, 2022

III

SCOUTING THE FRIARS: Providence starts its season 1-1 with a 1-0 shutout win over Colgate and a 2-1 loss to Boston University on Sunday. Ava Brandt and Meg Hughes have the goals for the Friars in the early going. The Friars finished with a 10-7-3 overall record and 5-3-2 mark in BIG EAST play last season. Providence finished in fifth place in the conference and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993. The Friars fell to Hofstra, 3-0, in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Friar junior goalkeeper Emma Bodmer will play against her sister, Olivia Bodmer, who is a freshman goalkeeper for the Scarlet Knights. Prior to joining the Scarlet Knights, Olivia played four years of varsity soccer at Notre Dame High School and was named to the All-American Game watch list.

IV

HISTORY VS. PROVIDENCE: Rutgers holds a 16-2-1 advantage over its former Big East Conference opponents, including a 2-0-1 mark as non-conference foes since RU left for the Big Ten. The Friars have had the upper hand in the series on their home turf, winning the last two matches in Providence in 2011 (a 1-0 victory in the Big East Tournament) and 2007 (a 1-0 victory in the regular season). Rutgers last win at Providence came in 2001. The Scarlet Knights, however, are coming off two consecutive recent victories in Piscataway against the Friars - a 1-0 win in 2019 and a 5-1 victory last season. Returning Rutgers players Sara Brocious and Sam Kroeger scored last time out in 2021.

V

A NEW CHALLENGE: The Scarlet Knights opened 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 Aug. 25 road date at Providence marks the first time RU plays three matches away from home to start a season since 2001.

"To reach our goals, we have to win at home and we have to win on the road," said head coach Mike O'Neill. "We want to challenge our comfort zone early, and we like the added benefit of bonding as a team and building team chemistry with some early time on the road together."

VI

RUTGERS RANKED: RU has been ranked No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches National Poll, matching the highest national rank in program history (the final poll after the NCAA Women's College Cup in 2021). The Scarlet Knights began at No. 6 in the preseason poll, marking 11 of the last 13 seasons Rutgers received votes in the national preseason vote.

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 national poll, followed by No. 10 Penn State, No. 20 Ohio State, and No. 24 Wisconsin. Michigan is also receiving votes this week.

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.

VII

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 36. 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.

VIII

B1G TIME OFFENSE: Junior forward Allison Lowrey is the reigning Big Ten Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after a six-point performance on two goals and two assists during the 2-0 opening week. It is Lowrey's first weekly honor from the Big Ten, and the 12th offensive weekly award from the conference since joining the league in 2014. Lowrey leads the Big Ten and is ranked eighth in the nation with her six points.

She scored the game-winner in the 1-0 victory at Mountain West favorites New Mexico to open the season on Thursday. She then assisted the first two goals against UNLV to give Rutgers a 2-0 lead in the opening 19 minutes before scoring another in the 5-1 victory on Sunday. Lowrey's four points against UNLV set a new career high for the junior striker, and she did it in just 42 minutes of action. The UNLV contest was also her second career match with multiple assists. Her 3.0 points per match ranks 14th across the nation, while her two goals come in at 15th in the nation.

No surprises here ... @RUWSoccer's Allison Lowrey is the @B1GSoccer Offensive Player of the Week!

With 6 points on 2 goals and 2 assists, she helped the Scarlet Knights take a 2-0 start to the season. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z77y2vWSZ8
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) August 24, 2022

IX

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.

X

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).

Allie Post picked up her first collegiate point on an assist on the fifth goal in Rutgers' 5-1 win over UNLV on Aug. 21, which was scored by graduate transfer Hailey Gutowski.

XI

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.

Follow Rutgers men's soccer on Twitter and Instagram (@RUMensSoccer) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/RUMensSoccer). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics). For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
- RU -