Baran's Hat Trick Pushes Women's Soccer Past Nebraska, 3-2

Thursday, October 10

Piscataway, N.J.

7:30 p.m.

Rutgers University

9-1-3, 5-0-2

Nebraska

4-8-1, 1-5-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Nebraska	2	0	2
Rutgers	1	2	3

Baran's Hat Trick Pushes Women's Soccer Past Nebraska, 3-2

Oct 10 | Women's Soccer

Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Ashley Baran's first collegiate hat trick powered Rutgers women's soccer (9-1-3, 5-0-2) coming from behind in a third consecutive match to beat Nebraska (4-8-1, 1-5-1) by a 3-2 score at Yurcak Field on Thursday night. Rutgers remains unbeaten in Big Ten play with four matches remaining.

Baran, who came into the contest with one goal in 2024, left with field with four. She opened scoring in the fifth minute, and after Nebraska tied in the sixth and went ahead in the 10th, collected her brace in the 51st and the hat trick in the 54th on the game-winner.

"It was a must-win game," Baran said. "After two ties and conceding twice early in this one, we recollected at halftime because we knew we could be the better team. The game was ours after that."

Gia Girman collected a pair of assists on Baran's hat trick. The first came early in the fifth minute when Patricia Tsokos played a ball forward to Girman, who played a ball to the side for Baran. Her blast cleared the keeper for the 1-0 lead.

Ashley Baran's second of the season is a beauty!😍 pic.twitter.com/fOL9DBjtb8
— RUTGERS WOMEN'S SOCCER (@RUWSoccer) October 10, 2024

Nebraska answered just 35 seconds later and eventually took the lead 4:40 after the equalizer. The Huskers went into the locker room leading 2-1.

The halftime adjustments by head coach Mike O'Neill proved effective. Baran's breakout night continued in the 51st minute when she surprised the Nebraska backline with a rocket from outside the corner of the box that again cleared the keeper toward the top of the net to tie the match at 2-2.

It's a Baran brace!!🤩 pic.twitter.com/jdAoONTxeV
— RUTGERS WOMEN'S SOCCER (@RUWSoccer) October 11, 2024

Hungry for more, it took Baran just 3:20 to collect her first collegiate hat trick. Girman dribbed into the defense and played a diagonal through ball to Baran, who chipped the keeper to the side-netting at the far post for the eventual game-winning goal at 3-2.

Ashley Baran with the hat trick🎩 pic.twitter.com/TeTQoK9bNH
— RUTGERS WOMEN'S SOCCER (@RUWSoccer) October 11, 2024

Nebraska had their offensive chances, outshooting RU, 15-9. However, the Rutgers defense locked down after allowing multiple goals for the first time this season, holding to Nebraska to four shots on target throughout the game as the Scarlet Knight offense took six shots on goal.

The Scarlet Knights get set for No. 9 Iowa on Sun., Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. at Yurcak Field.

NOTES

Ashley Baran scored her first collegiate hat trick and now has seven career scores.
It was Rutgers' first hat trick since Allison Lowrey on Aug. 28, 2023 against FDU.
Gia Girman collected her first collegiate two-assist match and now has three career helpers.
Rutgers is unbeaten over its last 10 matches after losing 1-0 at UMass on Aug. 25.
Rutgers is unbeaten at home this season at 6-0-1 and is unbeaten at Yurcak Field over its last eight matches dating back to the last regular season game of 2023.
Riley Tiernan was not available for the game due to a suspension for five accumulated yellow cards this season. It was the first match she's missed in her college career after 76 consecutive starts.
Rutgers now has a 2-0-7 record against Nebraska since 2014.