I

THE DETAILS

Big Ten Tournament Semifinals
Thu., Nov. 7
3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) at CITYPARK (St. Louis, Mo.)
#5 seed Rutgers (11-3-4)
vs. #1 seed No. 4 USC (15-1-2)

II

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Rutgers finished fifth in the new 18-team Big Ten with 21 points from a 6-2-3 conference record. The Scarlet Knights won 10 matches in the regular season for the 11th time in 12 full seasons (excluding 2020), and earned draws on the road at No. 1 Michigan State and No. 19 Penn State. Rutgers highest RPI win came via a 1-0 victory over No. 25 Wisconsin to open up Big Ten play.

Ashley Baran scored the Golden Goal 4:27 into the first overtime period to send fifth-seeded Rutgers (11-3-4) past 4-seed and No. 16 ranked Michigan State (12-2-5) in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals hosted by the University of Minnesota. The Scarlet Knights overcame an own goal just 31 seconds into the match with an equalizing goal by Gia Girman (assisted by Riley Tiernan) and the overtime winner by Baran (assisted by Tiernan and Girman).

No. 4 USC's only loss this season came to then-No. 1 Stanford back on Sept. 8, a 2-1 setback on the road. The Trojans went unbeaten at 10-0-1 in the Big Ten to clinch the conference championship, beating No. 8 UCLA, 1-0, on the final day of the regular season to clinch the title in their first season in the Big Ten. Top-seeded USC then beat 8-seed and No. 10 ranked Ohio State with a Golden Goal in the first overtime period to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals with a 1-0 win in Monday's quarterfinal. 

III

SCOUTING THE TROJANS

USC won the Big Ten title in its first season in the Big Ten Conference. Ten Trojans were honored in the 2024 Big Ten awards including Helena Sampaio being named Midfielder of the Year, Laurence Gladu being named Goalkeeper of the Year and Jane Alukonis being named Coach of the Year. Four Trojans earned All-Big Ten first team honors, with Gladu and Sampaio joined by Maile Hayes and Brooklyn Courtnall. Maria Alagoa was named to the All-Big Ten second team and Kayla Colbert and Simone Jackson earned third-team recognition. Faith George and Ines Derrien were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

The Scarlet Knights met the Trojans once in their history 20 years ago, when USC won a 3-2, double-overtime thriller in California.

IV

BEST IN THE B1G

Rutgers women's soccer placed three Scarlet Knights on the 2024 All-Big Ten awards, announced by the conference office on Friday. Senior Emily Mason has been named to the All-Big Ten First Team, senior Riley Tiernan is on the Second Team, and Shaela Bradley has been selected to the All-Freshman Team. Senior Kassidy Banks earned the team's Sportsmanship Award.

V

GIRMAN GEARED UP

Senior forward Gia Girman has started the last two matches, including a 68-minute run in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal victory over No. 16 Michigan State. Girman scored the equalizer in the 31st minute before passing off the game-winning assist in the first overtime period. Girman has two goals and three assists during her final season, including the game-winner in the 1-0 victory over Wisconsin to open Big Ten play 1-0.

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 fourth in the NCAA and is tops in the Big Ten with her 11 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 33rd and 34th career assists in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals moved her into sixth place in the all-time Big Ten record book and her 19 points this season gave her 72 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 17 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

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."

Baran scored the Golden Goal in the overtime victory over No. 16 Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

IX

YOUNG MINUTES

Rutgers has sported three true freshmen in starting lineups this season in forward Shaela Bradley, back Claire Hammill, and midfielder Mikayla Mandleur. 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

BODMER'S BOX

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer has done her part on the defensive unit leading to 0.72 goals allowed per game. Bodmer ranks fifth in the Big Ten with her seven solo shutouts. Her 0.72 goals-against average ranks 35th in the nation and sixth 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.

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 18 matches in the midfield and has contributed plenty to the 0.72 goals-against average. Sophomore Tsokos has 16 starts in 18 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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