ROSEMONT, Ill. – Rutgers women's soccer senior backs Kassidy Banks and Emily Mason, along with senior forward Riley Tiernan, have been named Big Ten Players to Watch ahead of the 2024 season.
  
Last season, the Scarlet Knights continued a longstanding tradition of NCAA Championships soccer, making the bracket for the 12th year in a row, 14th time in the last 16 years, and 18th time overall after a 9-win regular season campaign. RU placed four on the 2023 All-Big Ten awards. Then-juniors Riley Tiernan and Emily Mason earned All-Big Ten Second Team, with Mason earning All-Region Second Team and Tiernan grabbing All-Region Third Team honors. Rutgers finished the regular season unbeaten in five of its final six, rising to No. 37 in the RPI rankings. Their results were highlighted by  three shutout victories over NCAA RPI Top 50 teams, including No. 34 Ohio State on the road, No. 42 Providence, and No. 50 Michigan.
 
Included in the returners are the Big Ten Players to Watch: Banks, Mason, and Tiernan.
 
Banks, since earning a spot on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2021's College Cup season, has been a staple on the backline "On the Banks" with 62 matches played. Banks has been in the back for 32 shutouts over her three season. Banks earned captainship for the Scarlet Knights for the first time ahead of the 2024 season. 

Mason, a 2024 United Soccer Coaches National Defender to Watch, played in all 20 matches with 17 starts in 2023, contributing to 10 team shutouts and scoring one goal. Mason played the full 90 minutes in all of Rutgers' 10 regular season Big Ten matches, which included five victories and four shutouts by Mason and the defense. The backs allowed four or less shots on goal in 11 matches last fall, including the final four of the regular season. Mason enters her final season firmly on the radar of international and professional soccer having won a gold medal with the United States U20 Youth National Team at the Concacaf Women's Championship and the Sud Ladies Cup.
 
Tiernan scored three goals and added four assists in the 2023 regular season, while also drawing the eye of double-teams and opposing coaching plans throughout her 20-match campaign. She played at least 85 minutes in all 10 Big Ten matches, while netting a goal in the win against Michigan and assists in the win against Purdue and the draw at Nebraska. Tiernan will enter her senior season tied for 4th all-time at Rutgers with 23 career assists and seven away from setting a new all-time record "On the Banks."
 
The Scarlet Knights begin the 2024 season on the road on Thurs., Aug. 15 at NJIT at 6 p.m. in Newark before opening the home season at Yurcak Field on Sun., Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. against Wake Forest.
 
2024 Big Ten Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. UCLA
2. Penn State
3. Michigan State
4. Nebraska
5. USC
6. Wisconsin
7. Rutgers
8. Iowa
9. Ohio State
10. Indiana
11. Michigan
12. Northwestern
13. Washington
14. Minnesota
15. Illinois
16. Purdue
17. Maryland
18. Oregon

2024 Big Ten Women's Soccer Players to Watch
Mya Archibald, So., D, Illinois
Kennedy Berschel, Gr., M, Illinois
Ella Karolak, Sr., D, Illinois
Jamie Gerstenberg, Sr., GK, Indiana
Avery Snead, Gr., D, Indiana
Piper Coffield, So., D, Indiana
Sofia Bush, So., MF, Iowa
Macy Enneking, Gr., GK, Iowa
Millie Greer, So., D, Iowa
Liz Beardsley, Sr., GK, Maryland
Kennedy Bell, So., D, Maryland
Lauren Wrigley, Sr., MF, Maryland
Avery Kalitta, Sr., MF, Michigan
Jenna Lang, Jr., MF, Michigan
Stephanie Sparkowski, Gr., GK, Michigan
Regan Dalton, Gr., MF, Michigan State
Justina Gaynor, Gr., MF, Michigan State
Bella Najera, So., F/MF, Michigan State
Sophia Boman, Gr., MF, Minnesota
Khyah Harper, Sr., F, Minnesota
Sophia Romine, Gr., MF, Minnesota
Florence Belzile, Sr., MF, Nebraska
Sarah Weber, Sr., F, Nebraska
Jordan Zade, Sr., D, Nebraska
Josie Aulicino, Gr., MF, Northwestern
Emma Phillips, Sr., D, Northwestern
Caterina Regazzoni, Jr., MF, Northwestern
Amanda Schlueter, So., F, Ohio State
Sydney Jones, Sr., D, Ohio State
Peyton McNamara, Sr., MF, Ohio State
Haley McWhirter, Gr., MF, Oregon
Livvy Moore, RS-So., MF, Oregon
Makoto Nezu, Gr., MF, Oregon
Olivia Borgen, Jr., MF, Penn State
Kaitlyn MacBean, RS-Sr., F, Penn State
Mieke Schiemann, Sr., D, Penn State
Sydney Boudreau, Sr., D, Purdue
Kayla Budish, Jr., F, Purdue
Gracie Dunaway, Sr., F, Purdue
Kassidy Banks, Sr., D, Rutgers
Emily Mason, Sr., D, Rutgers
Riley Tiernan, Sr., F, Rutgers
Meg Boade, Gr., MF, UCLA
Emma Egizii, Sr., MF, UCLA
Lilly Reale, Sr., D, UCLA
Maribel Flores, So., F, USC
Kayla Colbert, Sr., F/D, USC
Brooklyn Courtnall, Sr., D, USC
Kelsey Branson, Jr., MF, Washington
Kolo Suliafu, Jr., D, Washington
Tatum Thomason, Jr., MF, Washington
Hailey Baumann, So., D, Wisconsin
Madison Ishaug, Sr., MF, Wisconsin
Aryssa Mahrt, Gr., MF/F, Wisconsin
 
 
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