I

THE DETAILS

Thu., Aug. 31
7 p.m. at Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium (Princeton, N.J.)
Rutgers (2-1-1)
at Princeton (2-0-0)
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats

II

PREVIOUSLY ON...

Rutgers secured a convincing return to the win column on Monday at Yurcak Field with a 7-0 victory over FDU (0-4-0), powered by Allison Lowrey's hat trick and nine different Scarlet Knights recording a point. The senior striker's three goals were the program's first hat trick since 2019.

Lowrey's three goals gave her five for the season, which leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in the NCAA.

III

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

Princeton is 2-0 for the third straight season and seventh time in eight competitive seasons under head coach Sean Driscoll, blanking Monmouth (3-0) and La Salle (5-0). Five players contributed to Princeton's eight goals from the first weekend with seven goals coming from non-seniors and five of the eight from rookies or second-year players. Sophomore Pietra Tordin, the Ivy Offensive Player of the Week and reiging Ivy Rookie of the Year, scored three goals, while rookie Kayla Wong had two. Juniors Lily Bryant and Kate Toomey had one apiece and senior Lexi Hiltunen had one. Wong is the first Tiger freshman since Tyler Lussi '17 in 2013 to score goals in each of her first two games with the program, and if she scores again on Thursday, it'd make her the first Tiger freshman since Kristina Fontanez '05 in 2001 to score in each of her first three games with the program. 

Junior Tyler McCamey played 150 of the 180 minutes in goal over the first weekend, facing one shot on goal against Monmouth and none in 60 minutes against La Salle before rookie Cecilia Cerone took over. It's the first time since 2018 that Princeton has started the season with two shutouts. That year, the Tigers' season-starting shutout streak went 293:05 before giving up a goal in the fourth game of the year against N.C. State. 

Rutgers leads the all-time series with Princeton 18-9-4, including a 10-4-3 mark in Princeton. The Scarlet Knights won 3-0 last year in Piscataway after the Tigers won the year before, also at Rutgers, 4-3. Sam Kroeger (two) and Allison Lowrey (one) scored the three goals against Princeton in 2022. All of the goal scorers from the 2021 game are back as well, with Riley Tiernan scoring two and Lynch one for Rutgers, and Heather MacNab two and Madison Curry and Lily Bryant one each for Princeton. Tyler McCamey is the only current goalkeeper to have played in the series, going the distance in the 2022 game for Princeton. 

IV

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Following the graduation and professional signing of Meagan McClelland, who left Rutgers with the NCAA's second-leading minutes played of all-time, redshirt freshman Olivia Bodmer became just the fifth starting goalkeeping since the beginning of the 2014 season with her two-save, shutout win on Opening Night, Aug. 17. McClelland had started 101 of the last 102 matches from 2018-22, yielding one start to Brianna Scarola's Senior Day in 2018. United States Women's National Team goalkeeper Casey Murphy started 67 matches from 2014-17, giving way to Alana Jiminez's 23 starts in 2016 when Murphy redshirted for international service with the United States.

Under the direction of Associate Head Coach and Goalkeepers Coach Lubos Ancin, Rutgers goalkeepers have combined for a 0.60 goals-against average since 2014, including Casey Murphy's mark of the 0.27 in 2017 that led the NCAA.

V

MASON MARKS

Junior back Emily Mason has been named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for National Player of the Year and a 2023 Player to Watch by United Soccer Coaches. The Flemington, New Jersey native has also been listed on Top Drawer Soccer's Big Ten Conference preview as one of five Players to Watch, along with an honor on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Best XI Third Team.
 
A Third-Team All-American, All-Big Ten First Team, and All-North Region First Team selection as a sophomore in 2022, Mason turned in 14 matches with the full 90 minutes played, contributing to eight shutouts on the Scarlet Knight defense. The versatile, 5-foot-10 defender has also chipped in on the attack, scoring her first collegiate goal in a 7-0 win against Temple on Sept. 1 and then scoring her first collegiate brace in a 3-0 win at Purdue on Oct. 2. She also added an important assist in the 1-1 draw at then-No. 8 Northwestern on Sept. 29. Mason missed the first two contests of the season while serving with the United States Youth National Team at the U20 World Cup in Costa Rica. She previously won gold with the USYNT at the Concacaf Women's Championship and the Sud Ladies Cup in 2021.

VI

WATCH OUT

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. 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.

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.

VII

THE ARMBANDS

Rutgers women's soccer head coach Mike O'Neill has named Becci Fluchel, Allison Lynch, and Emma Misal as captains of the 2023 Scarlet Knights squad. 

The trio has been at the center of Rutgers' sustained success over the past four years, which included consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, the undefeated 2021 Big Ten Championship, and the run to the 2021 NCAA College Cup. Fluchel and Misal enter their senior seasons, while Lynch returns for her fifth year "On the Banks." This high-performing group has been part of a backline that allowed just 12 goals in 18 regular-season games in 2022, including only three during the historic 9-0 start to the year.

Lynch returns for her second captainship in her fifth year with nearly 7,000 minutes of action on defense for the Scarlet Knights. She led the team with 88.2 minutes per game in 2022. Not shy to move forward, Lynch scored an important goal in a 2-2 draw with Minnesota last fall and carries nine career points on three goals and three assists into her final season. The Bridgewater, New Jersey native played all 90 minutes in 17 of her 20 games last season, including the final 15 of the campaign.

Misal earns her first captain's armband after being named Third Team All-Big Ten as a back in 2022. The defender from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania has contributed to one of the nation's top defenses over the past three years, chipping in on five Rutgers shutouts last fall. Misal worked back from a training camp injury to earn a starting job during the season's final 12 matches, which included 85-plus minute efforts in the last four games. 

VIII

CHASING HISTORY

Riley Tiernan (6) and Sara Brocious (7) led in assists last season and are marching up the record book in career helpers at RU. Tiernan is tied for sixth all-time with 21 and needs two more to enter the Top 5. Brocious has 17 career assists, breaking into the Top 10 in a tie with RU greats Carli Lloyd and Taylor Aylmer. The all-time assist record at Rutgers is 29 set by Gina DeMaio from 2006-10.

IX

NEW KIDS "ON THE BANKS"

Rutgers women's soccer head coach Mike O'Neill welcomes 11 freshmen to the program for the 2023 season, including nine hailing from New Jersey. The class includes Brianna Azevedo, Ashley Baran, Ava Brass, Audrey Cain, Elliot Forney, Gabriela Gil, Alyssa Martinez, Reilly McGlinn, Shannon Reiser, Olivia Russomanno, and Tehya Scheuten. 

This standout group includes a New Jersey Player of the Year, All-Americans, multiple national and state champions at the high school and club levels, and numerous All-State honorees.

Baran scored her first collegiate goal against FDU on Aug. 28, while Russomanno picked up her first point with an assist in that 7-0 victory.

X

LIVING 'VICARI'OUSLY

Rutgers women's soccer welcomes impact transfer Gia Vicari to the 2023 roster. The Georgetown transfer and dynamic forward will be a graduate student at Rutgers and will play her final year of eligibility "On the Banks" after leading the nationally ranked and three-time Big East champion Hoyas in scoring over the past three seasons.
 
Vicari is coming off a 2022 season that earned Second Team All-East Region honors from United Soccer Coaches, along with All-Big East First Team honors after leading Georgetown with six goals and four assists during a 15-2-5 season. The Hoyas won the 2022 Big East Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, ending the season ranked No. 19.

Vicari picked up her first Rutgers goal in the 7-0 victory over FDU on Aug. 28.

XI

RETURNING EXPERIENCE

Ten of 11 primary starters return. Eleven point scorers are back representing 116 of last season's 125, and on defense, the 'No Service, No Shots, No Goals' mantra still rings true for a defense that posted nine shutouts in 2022. The Scarlet Knights return a total of 18 players from the 2022 roster that went 13-5-2 and qualified for an 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament, including 16 with playing time on the books. Twelve returners started at least one match last season, with 10 starting 12 or more matches.

All but three goals from the 42 netted in '22, and all but three assists, are accounted for in the returning class this fall. The Scarlet Knights also bring some hardware forward from the 2022 season, with returning All-America Third Team selection Emily Mason back on defense. Mason was one of four United Soccer Coaches All-Region picks, joining Riley Tiernan (Second Team), Sara Brocious (Third Team), and Sam Kroeger (Third Team). Those four, along with Allison Lowrey and Emma Misal, all earned All-Big Ten awards last fall, with Mason earning First Team honors.

Stay up to date on the latest news and schedule updates by following Rutgers women's soccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Download the Scarlet Knights App for Apple or Android today.
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