I

THE DETAILS

Sun., Oct. 27
1 p.m. at Yurcak Field (Piscataway, N.J.)
Rutgers (10-3-3, 6-2-2)
vs. Maryland (4-10-4, 1-8-1)

At the Stadium
Senior Day
Join us in honoring the Rutgers Women's Soccer Class of 2025!
The tailgate takes place in the parking lot three hours before kickoff. Then 90 minutes before kickoff, fans are encouraged to welcome the Scarlet Knights to Yurcak Field at the Scarlet Walk located outside the ticket booth.

II

SENIOR SALUTE

Rutgers will honor the Class of 2025 on Senior Day Sunday. Included in the group are six members of the 2021 Big Ten Championship and College Cup team - Gia Girman, Kylie Daigle, Emily Mason, Kassidy Banks, Cameron Kennett, and Riley Tiernan. The group contributed to the historic season that saw the Scarlet Knights go 10-0 to win the school's first Big Ten title on the way to the program's second appearance in the College Cup. These six have been at the helm of 51 Scarlet Knight victories and three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.

"They left the place better than they found it," said head coach Mike O'Neill. "They made the program better because they were here. This senior class has so much character."

Rutgers also honors the careers of two graduate transfers, Sydney Urban and Arden Lembryk, on Senior Day. 

"Coming in from different programs have made an impact on and off the field with their maturity and how they go about their business every day," O'Neill said. "They've added a lot in such a short period of time."

III

BARAN BANGERS

Sophomore striker Ashley Baran scored her first collegiate hat trick against Nebraska to help the Scarlet Knights erase a 2-1 deficit and claim a 3-2 victory to remain unbeaten in the Big Ten. It was Rutgers' first hat trick in Big Ten play since joining the conference 2014. Baran, who came into the contest with one goal in 2024, left the 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."

IV

SCOUTING THE TERRAPINS

Maryland is 7-8-2 all-time vs. the Scarlet Knights. The series dates back to 1989 with seven matches taking place prior to both schools joining the Big Ten in 2014. The Terrapins were 5-1-1 in those non-conference meetings. Since joining the Big Ten, Rutgers is 7-2-1 against Maryland.

V

BODMER'S BOX

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer has done her part on the defensive unit leading to 0.69 goals allowed per game. Bodmer ranks fifth in the Big Ten with her seven shutouts. Her 0.69 goals-against average ranks 32nd in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten.

"We play as a team, we defend as a team," Bodmer said. "All 31 of us are doing what we can to help this team. We call each other sisters, and it helps to have them in front of me. I can't thank them enough; they are the best backline I could ask for. They instill confidence in not just me, but the whole team."

Bodmer claimed the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honor after a 1-0 shutout at Michigan and a 1-1 draw at No. 1 Michigan State, marking Rutgers' first Goalkeeper of the Week conference honor since Meagan McClelland in 2021.

VI

THE ASSIST QUEEN

Senior striker Riley Tiernan's two assists in the 3-0 win over Oregon on Sept. 19 gave her 30 for her career, setting the new school record for career assists at Rutgers. She tied, then passed Gina DeMaio's (2006-10) previous school record of 29. Tiernan now ranks 14th in the NCAA and is second in the Big Ten with her eight assists this season.

"It's all because of the team," Tiernan said. "We have a lot of talent and depth this year, so knowing I can dish the ball out and my teammates are going to put it in the back of the net is key. You can't be an assister without those people that are going to put the ball away."

Tiernan's 31st career assist against Iowa moved her into 10th place in the all-time Big Ten record book and her three-point game in the 2-1 victory over the Hawkeyes gave her 69 points for her career, good for sixth in Rutgers history.

VII

POINTS OF EMPHASIS

Rutgers returned 41 percent of its points from 2023 and was in search for new sources of offense heading into 2024. The underclassmen responded with four Scarlet Knights recording their first collegiate points early this season.

Freshman midfielder Shaela Bradley, who has started all 16 games, scored her first goal in the win over Maine and added her first assist in the victory over Lehigh. Bradley is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and ranks second on the team with 11 points on four goals and three assists, including the equalizing goal to earn the 1-1 draw at No. 19 Penn State.

Redshirt freshman Reilly McGlinn opened her collegiate scoring with Rutgers' goal against Wake Forest in the 1-1 draw and pitched in her first assist in the win over Maine. Redshirt freshman Gabriela Gil scored the opening goal and game-winner against Lehigh for her first score, and netted the game-winner in the 1-0 victory at Michigan. Freshman Mikayla Mandleur notched her first collegiate point on the assist in the Lehigh triumph.

Gabriela Gil claimed Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after scoring a high-pressure penalty in the 86th minute to tie the game at 1-1 at No. 1 Michigan State.

VIII

SPREAD OFFENSE

Rutgers' first six goals of the season were scored by six different players. Nine different Scarlet Knights have accounted for their 23 total goals. Eleven different players have recorded a point during the 2024 season.

IX

YOUNG MINUTES

Rutgers sports three true freshmen in the starting lineup in forward Shaela Bradley, back Claire Hammill, and midfielder Mikayla Mandeur. The following freshmen or redshirt freshmen also have minutes through the 2024 season: Gabriela Gil, Reilly McGlinn, Riley Morris, Gabby Miller, and Brianna Azevedo.

X

BETWEEN THE POST

Junior forward Allie Post has emerged as a top scoring threat in the Scarlet Knight offense. She scored her first career brace, netting both goals in the 2-0 win over NC State in the non-conference finale. She's one of the leading Rutgers goal scorer with four tallies, adding a marker in the 3-0 win over Lehigh and the game-winner against Oregon. After scoring four and two points during her freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively, she now has 10 as a junior.

XI

IMPACT TRANSFERS

Transfers Sydney Urban (Maryland) and Patricia Tsokos (Arkansas) have made their presence known in their first seasons in Scarlet. Graduate transfer Urban has started in all 16 matches in the midfield and has contributed plenty to the 0.69 goals-against average. Sophomore Tsokos has 14 starts in 16 appearances and also flexes well between defensive and midfield positions to chip into one of the best defensive metrics in the country.


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