PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers women's soccer senior midfielders
Sara Brocious and
Becci Fluchel, along with junior forward
Riley Tiernan, have been named Big Ten Players to Watch ahead of the 2023 season.
Tiernan also earned a mention on the United Soccer Coaches National Players to Watch list for forwards for the second consecutive season. Tiernan was one of three Big Ten players on the national watch list, joining Rebecca Cooke from Penn State and Sarah Weber from Nebraska.
As a team, the Scarlet Knights have been voted to finish third in the Big Ten in the annual conference coaches' preseason poll.
Rutgers finished in a fourth-place tie after the 2022 Big Ten season with a 5-3-2 mark, part of a 13-5-2 campaign that saw the Scarlet Knights qualify for an 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights return a plethora of starters from that season, only losing goalkeeper
Meagan McClelland from the '22 starting corps to graduation and the professional ranks in the NWSL.
Included in the returners are the Big Ten Players to Watch: Brocious, Fluchel, and Tiernan.
Brocious was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third Team after starting in all 20 games in 2022 with five goals and seven assists. Two of those goals went down as game-winners, including the lone tally in the 1-0 victory over Big Ten foe Maryland. The senior from Voorhees, New Jersey heads into the 2023 campaign with 16 career assists, tied for 12th all-time at RU.
Fluchel was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team in 2022 and produced another integrally dynamic season as a defensive midfielder. The Pittstown, New Jersey native can be seen on every inch of the pitch, chipping into Rutgers' nine shutouts last year while also scoring 10 points on three goals and four assists. The rising senior played and started in all 20 matches with an average of 85 minutes per game, including 15 matches of the full 90 minutes played.
Tiernan earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team and All-Big Ten Third Team accolades during her sophomore season in 2022. The 2021 Big Ten Rookie of the Year followed up with four goals and six assists in her second collegiate year, including the helper on the game-winning goal in the dramatic, 3-2 comeback win against LSU. The Voorhees, New Jersey striker has 19 career assists, already good for eighth place in the RU record book.
The Scarlet Knights begin the 2023 season at home on Thurs., Aug. 17 against Holy Cross at 7 p.m. at Yurcak Field.
2023 Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
- Penn State
- Northwestern
- Rutgers
- Michigan State
- Wisconsin
- Nebraska
- Ohio State
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Purdue
- Illinois
Indiana
Big Ten Players to Watch
Kennedy Berschel, Sr., M, Illinois
Ella Karolak, Jr., D, Illinois
Makala Woods, Sr., F, Illinois
Jaime Gerstenberg, Jr., GK, Indiana
Zoe Tiger, Sr., D, Indiana
Paige Webber, Gr., F, Indiana
Samantha Cary, Gr., D, Iowa
Macy Enneking, Sr., GK, Iowa
Meike Ingles, RS-Jr., F, Iowa
Liz Beardsley, Jr., GK, Maryland
Catherine DeRosa, Sr., M, Maryland
Lauren Wrigley, Jr., M, Maryland
Avery Kalitta, Jr., M, Michigan
Jenna Lang, So., M, Michigan
Aniyah League, So., D, Michigan
Raegan Cox, Gr., D, Michigan State
Justina Gaynor, Sr., M, Michigan State
Emerson Sargeant, So., M, Michigan State
Sophia Boman, Sr., M, Minnesota
Abi Frandsen, Sr., D, Minnesota
Megan Plashcko, Gr., GK, Minnesota
Eleanor Dale, F, Sr., Nebraska
Gwen Lane, D, Sr., Nebraska
Sarah Weber, F, Jr., Nebraska
Josie Auliconi, Sr., M, Northwestern
Meg Boade, Sr., M, Northwestern
Caterina Regazzoni, So., M, Northwestern
Kailyn Dudukovich, Jr., F, Ohio State
Sydney Jones, Jr., D, Ohio State
Peyton McNamara, Sr., M, Ohio State
Cori Dyke, RS-Sr., M, Penn State
Payton Linnehan, RS-Sr., M, Penn State
Kate Wiesner, RS-Sr., D, Penn State
Kayla Budish, So., F, Purdue
Gracie Dunaway, Jr., F/M, Purdue
Emily Mathews, Sr., M, Purdue
Sara Brocious, Sr., M, Rutgers
Becci Fluchel, Sr., M, Rutgers
Riley Tiernan, Jr., F, Rutgers
Emma Jaskaniec, Sr., F, Wisconsin
Aryssa Mahrt, Sr, F, Wisconsin
Macy Monticello, Sr, D, Wisconsin
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