I

THE DETAILS

Fri., Oct. 4
5 p.m. at Jeffrey Field (University Park, Pa.)
Rutgers (8-1-2, 4-0-1)
at No. 19 Penn State (9-3-1, 3-2-0)
Stream: B1G+

II

LAST TIME OUT

Rutgers women's soccer (8-1-2, 4-0-1) came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at No. 1 Michigan State (8-0-4, 3-0-2) on Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
 
Following the unbeaten Spartans' go-ahead goal in the 80th minute, the Scarlet Knights kept pressing for the equalizer and got their chance when an Ashely Baran cross connected with the hand of a Spartan defender inside her 18-yard box. After a lengthy video assistant review, a penalty was awarded to Rutgers in the 86th with just 4:11 remaining. Redshirt freshman Gabriela Gil stepped up to the pressure-packed moment and buried the penalty to tie the game against the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week.

III

NO SHOTS, NO SERVICE, NO GOALS

A longtime mantra of the Rutgers women's soccer defense has proven effective during the 8-1-2 start to the season in which the defense gave up just 0.27 goals per game (3 goals allowed in 11 matches). During that span, Rutgers has held opponents to four or less shots on goal in all 11 games, including three or less in seven out of 11 matches. The 0.27 goals-against average is third best in the country.

Senior center back Kassidy Banks has played every minute through 11 matches, alongside another senior back in Emily Mason anchoring the stingy effort on the defensive end. After missing the opener, freshman Claire Hammill has started in 10 consecutive games at back and ranks sixth among field players in minutes. Sophomore Audrey Cain has three starts and 366 minutes on the backline, while freshman Riley Morris and sophomore Ava Brass also have contributed minutes to the backline efforts.

IV

SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS

Penn State has been nationally ranked all season, checking in at No. 19 this week in the coaches poll to go with a No. 8 RPI ranking through Oct. 2. The Nittany Lions defeated Northwestern and Nebraska with matching 1-0 scores, and added a dominant 6-0 win over Michigan to account for three Big Ten wins. Penn State lost to consecutive ranked opponents with a 1-0 loss to No. 5 Michigan State and a 2-1 setback against No. 18 Iowa.

Amanda Poorbaugh leads the goalkeeping unit with six shutouts, good for 12th in the nation, while Kaitlyn MacBean ranks fifth in the NCAA with her 10 total goals.

Rutgers faces Penn State for the 26th time in program history, with PSU owning a narrow 12-9-4 record against Rutgers since 1994. Over the last six fixtures in the all-time series, both squads have managed a trio of victories apiece, with the last draw coming in the 2017 campaign in Piscataway. PSU has booked victories in each of the last two fixtures, highlighted by an upset of then-No. 4 Rutgers on Jeffrey Field on September 22, 2022 to open B1G play. Last season's meeting at Yurcak Field saw the Nittany Lions battle for a 2-1 victory on the road. Rutgers is 5-3-2 in the series as Big Ten regular season opponents and 4-7-1 in University Park.

V

BODMER'S BOX

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer has done her part as part of the defensive unit leading to 0.27 goals allowed per game. Bodmer ranks sixth in the NCAA with her seven solo shutouts. Her 0.27 goals-against average ranks fourth in the nation and first in the Big Ten. Bodmer's .906 save percentage is the seventh best in the NCAA and tops into the Big Ten heading into Penn State.

"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 last week, 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 second in the NCAA and is atop the Big Ten with her seven 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 game-winner in the 1-0 win over Washington gave her 66 career points, tying her with her sister Madison (Tiernan) Richard for eighth place all-time in the Rutgers record book.

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 over the first matches of the season.

Freshman midfielder Shaela Bradley, who has started all 11 games, scored her first goal in the win over Maine and added her first assist in the victory over Lehigh. 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. 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 17 total goals. Ten different players have recorded a point halfway through the 2024 season.

IX

YOUNG MINUTES

Rutgers sports two true freshmen in the starting lineup in forward Shaela Bradley and back Claire Hammill, alongside another starter in redshirt freshman midfielder Gabriela Gil. The following freshmen or redshirt freshmen also have minutes through the first six games: Reilly McGlinn, Mikayla Mandleur, 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 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 through just nine games 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 11 matches in the midfield and has contributed plenty to the 0.27 goals-against average ranking first in the NCAA. Sophomore Tsokos has nine starts in 11 appearances and also flexes well between defensive and midfield positions to chip into the best defensive metrics in the country.


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