Box Score EAST LANSING, Mich. – 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.
The Rutgers defense, who have now allowed four or less shots on goal per game in all 11 matches this season, held the nation's top team to their one goal and left East Lansing with a point to sit alone atop the Big Ten table with 13 points.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper
Olivia Bodmer made three saves. Bodmer and the defense had a 650-minute scoreless streak disrupted in the 80th when a pass sprung an open shooter for the goal. The play was reviewed for offsides without substantial evidence to call back the score.
Rutgers had seven consecutive shutouts heading into the contest against the country's No. 1 team. With the draw, they remain unbeaten in eight consecutive matches.
RU outshot MSU, 6-4, in shots on target, with
Shaela Bradley,
Allie Post,
Riley Tiernan,
Mikayla Mandleur, and
Reilly McGlinn testing Michigan State goalkeeper and reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week Kaitlyn Parks.
The draw matches Rutgers' best result against a No. 1 ranked side after a scoreless draw against No. 1 Virginia in 2015 in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, which Rutgers advanced from in a penalty shootout.
Rutgers plays the final game of a three-match road stint on Fri., Oct. 4 at No. 15 Penn State at 5 p.m.
NOTES
- Career goal: Gabriela Gil (2)
- Rutgers is 2-for-2 on penalties this season.
- Rutgers' scoreless streak on defense stretched to 650 minutes, which was the longest in the nation this season and its longest since 2017.
- Rutgers has allowed four shots on goal or less in all 11 games.
- Rutgers is 9-2-1 all-time against Michigan State, playing once in 2004 before the Scarlet Knights' entry into the Big Ten in 2014. RU is 7-2-1 as Big Ten regular season opponents and 3-1-1 in East Lansing.
- This is Rutgers' first match against a No. 1 ranked team since losing 1-0 to No. 1 Florida State in the 2021 NCAA College Cup semifinals. The Scarlet Knights have never had an official win against a No. 1, although they did advance against No. 1 Virginia in 2015 in a 7-6 penalty shootout victory after a scoreless draw in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in Charlottesville.
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