PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team (1-2-1) earned its first victory of the season with a 2-0 win over Saint Peter's (0-2-2) on Monday night. Luciano Sanchez and Ian Abbey each found the back of the net in the contest for their first goals of the season. Aurie Briscoe played his first game of the season in net, recording two saves in his first career shutout.
The Scarlet Knights dominated action in the first half, owning the advantage in shots, 10-2. Although RU had a few close chances, the score remained 0-0 at the break.
Rutgers continued to control play in the second half and finally broke through in the 58th minute, as Sanchez scored the first goal of his college career. Jackson Temple and Matthew Acosta both earned assists.
Then it was Abbey who followed up with a score of his own, this time with help from Curt Calov and Nico Rosamilia. The goal gave the Scarlet Knights the 2-0 edge, a lead they would hold onto for the entire 90 minutes to come out with the win.
Goals
58' | (RU) Luciano Sanchez (1) – Jackson Temple, Matthew Acosta
83' | (RU) Ian Abbey (1) – Curt Calov, Nico Rosamilia
Game Notes
- Sanchez, a freshman from Wantage, New Jersey, finally notched his first goal after leading the team with 12 shots and seven on frame. He is now tied to rank second on the team with three points.
- Abbey's scored marks the first of the season but his fifth all-time. He secured three goals during his freshman campaign in 2022, including an insurance goal in the Big Ten Championship.
- With an assist on Sanchez's goal, Temple continued to pace RU with four points on the slate.
- Monday's game marked the seventh start of Briscoe's career.
- Nick Collins, Aidan Flynn, Erick Ruiz and Nico Rosamilia all made their first starts of the season for the Scarlet Knights. Gabriel Addo and William Baker also came in as substitutions for their first minutes of the fall.
- Rutgers owned the edge in both shots (21-4) and shots on frame (11-2).
- The Scarlet Knights now own the 10-1-1 all-time edge over the Peacocks and have not dropped a contest since 1978. They have now won the past four consecutive matchups.
Looking Ahead
Rutgers will travel to face the defending Pac-12 Champion UCLA (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. ET.
Follow Along
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