Starting XI: Women's Soccer vs. Oregon

Sep 19 | Women's Soccer

Watch on B1G+Live Stats 2024 Record Book

The 11 things to know before the Scarlet Knights host the Ducks on Thu., Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at Yurcak Field

I

THE DETAILS

Sun., Sept. 19
7 p.m. at Yurcak Field (Piscataway, N.J.)
Rutgers (5-1-1, 1-0-0)
vs. Oregon (4-4-0, 0-1-0)

At the Stadium
Scarlet Out
Show your Scarlet pride and wear red to support the team. Get a t-shirt while supplies last!
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

LAST TIME OUT

Returning from a three-game suspension, senior forward Gia Girman scored the game-winning goal in the 79th minute as Rutgers women's soccer (5-1-1, 1-0-0) won 1-0 at Wisconsin (4-2-1, 0-1-0) on Thursday night at McClimon Track/Soccer Complex in the Big Ten opener.

All five of Rutgers' victories this season have come via the clean sheet by Olivia Bodmer and the backline.

Deadlocked at 0-0 in the 79th, freshman Mikayla Mandleur won a tough 50-50 ball at midfield before laying off to Gabriela Gil, who played ahead to Shaela Bradley into space. Bradley threaded the defense with a one-time pass to spring Girman, who buried the shot to the left-side netting for the decisive score.

III

NO SHOTS, NO SERVICE, NO GOALS

A longtime mantra of the Rutgers women's soccer defense has proven effective during the 5-1-1 start to the season in which the defense gave up just 0.29 goals per game (2 goals allowed in seven games). During that span, Rutgers has held opponents to four or less shots on goal in all seven games, including three or less in five out of seven matches. The 0.29 goals-against average ranks ninth in the country and second in the new 18-team Big Ten Conference.

Senior center backs Kassidy Banks and Emily Mason have played every minute through seven matches, anchoring the stingy effort on the defensive end. After missing the opener, freshman Claire Hammill has started in six consecutive games at back and ranks sixth among field players with 442 minutes. Sophomore Audrey Cain has three starts and 339 minutes on the backline, while freshman Riley Morris and sophomore Ava Brass also have contrinuted minutes to the backline efforts.

IV

SCOUTING THE DUCKS

Oregon is 4-4 overall and lost their first ever Big Ten match against No. 22 UCLA on Saturday in Eugene. Oregon kept No. 22 UCLA off the scoreboard for most of the game and took a 1-0 lead in the 77th minute, but the Bruins scored twice in the final 11 minutes and – with the help of a penalty kick – fought off a determined Duck squad, 2-1, Saturday night at Papé Field. Oregon makes the longest road trip in the Big Ten - 2,460 miles (the distance from Pape' Field in Eugene to Yurcak Field in Piscataway).

The Ducks have scored in all eight matches this season. Six different Ducks have scored a goal this year, led by three a piece from Cameron Bourne and Taylor Bryan.

This is the first meeting between Rutgers and Oregon as the Ducks make their debut in the Big Ten in 2024.

V

BODMER'S BOX

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer has done her part as part of the defensive unit leading to 0.29 goals allowed per game. Bodmer ranks sixth in the NCAA with her five shutouts, including clean sheets in four consecutive games heading into the Big Ten home opener. Her 0.29 goals-against average ranks 17th in the nation. Bodmer's .900 save percentage is 20th nationally and third in the Big Ten.

VI

TIERNAN ON A TEAR

Senior striker Riley Tiernan is on a heater with eight offensive points over her final three non-conference matches. A goal and an assist against both Lehigh and Maine, and a pair of helpers against NC State pushed Tiernan to a team-high nine points. Her five assists rank 13th in the country, while her 0.71 assists per game mark comes in 12th nationally. Both figures are tops in the Big Ten through non-conference play. She was awarded Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week honorable mention following her six-point week during the period ending on Sept. 1.

Tiernan's two assists in the 2-0 win over NC State gave her 28 for her career, moving into second place all-time in the Rutgers record book, passing Jennifer Gibbons' (1989-92) 27. She is chasing Gina DeMaio's (2006-10) school record 29.

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 seven matches.

Freshman midfielder Shaela Bradley, who has started all seven 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, and has assists in each of the last two wins. Freshman Mikayla Mandleur notched her first collegiate point on the assist in the Lehigh triumph.

VIII

SPREAD OFFENSE

Rutgers' first six goals of the season were scored by six different players. Eight different Scarlet Knights have accounted for their 11 total goals. Nine different players have recorded a point during the early portion of 2024.

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 (226), Mikayla Mandleur (219), Riley Morris (94), Gabby Miller (49), and Brianna Azevedo (47).

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 three tallies, adding a marker in the 3-0 win over Lehigh. After scoring four and two points during her freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively, she now has eight through just seven 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 seven matches in the midfield and has contributed plenty to the 0.29 goals-against average ranking ninth in the NCAA. Sophomore Tsokos has five starts in seven appearances and also flexes well between defensive and midfield positions to chip into one of the best defensive metrics in the country.

Stay up to date on the latest news and schedule updates by following Rutgers women's soccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Download the Scarlet Knights App for Apple or Android today.
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