Rutgers University
Yale
Men's Soccer Hosts Yale on Monday Night
Sep 04 | Men's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer (1-1-1) team will continue its homestand at Yurcak Field, hosting Yale (0-0-1) on Monday, Sept 5 for a 7 p.m. contest.
Last Time Out
Rutgers' home opener against Princeton ended in a 1-1 tie on Friday night. Both teams battled for opportunities until Jackson Temple connected on a pass from Ola Maeland in the 41st minute to take the 1-0 lead. After an offsides call resulting in a goal being called back in the 56th minute, Princeton kept the pressure on, scoring the equalizer 21 minutes later. Neither team found the back of the net before the end of regulation and the contest ended in a 1-1 draw.
All 🫶 from Jackson Temple #GoRU | #RUMS pic.twitter.com/NWhp7uaJE6
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) September 3, 2022
Spreading the Love
Through three outings, the Scarlet Knights have seen five unique goal scorers for a total of six goals.
MD Myers leads the pack with two scores after finding the back of the net twice in the team's season opener against Omaha (Aug. 25). Pablo Avila, Jackson Temple, Ian Abbey and Joey Zalinsky 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 duo of Cruthers, Abbey and Dalton have already made an impact on the team this season. Dalton tops the goalkeepers with two starts and six saves while Abbey has recorded one goal and made one start.
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.
One Last Go
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.
The pair is already proving to be productive as DeVizio has played 161 minutes and Avila added a score and an assist so far this slate.
Preseason Hype
The Big Ten announced Matthew Acosta, MD Myers and Jackson Temple as Player to Watch heading into the fall 2022 season. The team was also picked to finish fifth in the conference standings.
Acosta, returning unanimous All-Big Ten freshman pick, started all 17 games of his rookie season and recorded a pair of assists. A transfer from High Point, Myers is a proven scorer and Big South standout. He recorded 51 career points with the Panthers on 21 goals and nine assists throughout three seasons. Temple returns to RU for his senior year after leading the squad with six goals and two assists for 14 total points.
Temple, a 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Second Team pick, was also just named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Players to Watch forwards list on Aug. 16.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Yale is coming off a season opening tie against Saint Francis (Pennsylvania), 1-1. Despite the result, the Bulldogs dominated on the pitch, outshooting the Red Flash 21-4 and owning a 13-1 edge in corner kicks.
Yale was picked to finish second in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll, receiving four of the 16 first place votes.
The Scarlet Knights are 1-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, dropping the first meeting in 1999 (0-1) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but winning the second in 2015 (5-2).
On the Schedule
The team will get comfortable playing in front of a home crowd at Yurcak this season, with 11 home games. Rutgers will play six road games, including two nonconference and four Big Ten matches.
After opening the season with a pair of games in Nebraska, the Scarlet Knights will enjoy a five-game homestand, starting with Princeton, before traveling to Wisconsin on Sept. 23.
Rutgers will get one more three-game stretch at home to start off the month of October before trading home-away games to end the 2022 regular season.
Looking Ahead
RU will play its third home contest in a row as the team hosts in-state rival Rider on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.
Follow Rutgers men's soccer on Twitter and Instagram (@RUMensSoccer) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersMensSoccer). 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.
