COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Rutgers men's soccer team (5-1-3, 2-0-0) will travel to No. 11 Ohio State (5-1-3, 1-1-0) on Friday, Sept. 30 for its second Big Ten road contest of the season.
Last Time Out
On Monday, Sept. 26, RU tied nonconference foe Fordham (3-1-5, 1-0-1), 1-1, at Yurcak Field. Pablo Avila scored the lone goal for the Scarlet Knights in the match, his second of the season.
Keep it Going
After winning the conference opener against Northwestern (Sept. 17) and defeating Wisconsin (Sept. 23), the team's 2-0 start in the Big Ten marks the first time the Scarlet Knights have started league play with consecutive wins since joining the conference.
With a 2-0 record, the Scarlet Knights are the only team unbeaten in league play so far this slate and one or two teams with two wins (Maryland, 2-0-1).
Rutgers has stayed unbeaten through the last seven games, not dropping a decision in the month of September. The streak dates back to Sept. 2 with a 1-1 draw against Princeton.
B1G Time
Rutgers tops the Big Ten in every offensive statistic except winning goals, where Jason Bouregy is in third with two scores.
MD Myers paces the conference in four categories: goals (6), shots (34), shots on goal (19). Myers along with teammate Jackson Temple also lead the Big Ten with 15 points apiece, to make RU the only team in the conference with two players in double-digit points.
Temple also paces the Big Ten in assists, tallying five on the season so far.
Spreading the Love
Through nine outings, the Scarlet Knights have seen 10 unique goal scorers for a total of 22 goals.
MD Myers leads the pack with six scores after securing braces against Omaha (Aug. 25) and Yale (Sept. 5) in addition to one-goal outings against Rider (Sept. 9) and UAlbany (Sept. 13).
Jackson Temple (5), Jason Bouregy (3), Pablo Avila (2), Ian Abbey (1), Joey Zalinsky (1), Ola Maeland (1), Bryan Keating (1), Cole Cruthers (1) and Hugo Le Guennec (1) have 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 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 Buckeyes
After being chosen to finish ninth in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, Ohio State stayed unbeaten through its first eight games before dropping its most recent outing to then-No. 9 Maryland, 1-0.
The Buckeyes own the 5-3 edge in the all-time series against Rutgers. However, RU came out on top in the last meeting between the two programs, with a dominant 4-0 win to cap the 2021 fall season.
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will return to Yurcak on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to welcome No. 8 Maryland for a 7 p.m. contest. The highly anticipated matchup will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Follow Along
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