PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team (3-2) will face in-state rival No. 22 Seton Hall (4-0) on Monday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. The team will celebrate their Most Valuable Professors in addition to promoting Mental Health Awareness. Admission is free for all.
The match will be available to stream on B1G+ and you can listen live on WRSU.
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights fell to Providence (3-1-1) on the road Friday night, 1-0.
RU battled with several close offensive opportunities but ultimately could not find the back of the net against the Friars.
Just six minutes after the break, Providence was able to break through and score the only goal of the contest to earn the victory.
Coming Out Fast
Rutgers has been hot from the jump this season on offense. The team has scored first in four of five contests of the season.
The Scarlet Knights also scored five goals in the first 11 minutes of the contest, including three in the first five minutes.
vs. Northeastern – Curt Calov – 3rd & 8th minute '
vs. Princeton – Curt Calov – 1st minute, Ola Maeland – 11th minute
at Lehigh – Curt Calov – 5th minute
Calov leads RU with four goals through four games and has scored all of them in the first eight minutes of play.
2024 Team Captains
At the start of preseason, head coach Jim McElderry named the captains for the 2024 fall season. Joey Zalinsky was selected for the honor for the second season in a row in addition to fellow senior Aidan Flynn and junior Cole Cruthers.
"Being a captain for the second season in a row means a lot," said Zalinsky. "It shows that I am more than just a leader. I am able to help this team win and help my teammates on and off the field."
Flynn, a four-year defender for the Scarlet Knights, has seen the team evolve and thrive during his tenure "On The Banks." Now he is excited to help lead and encourage that growth.
"It's a really great opportunity," Flynn said. "I am so fortunate to have been able to be here all four years and have gone through the progression. The culture has grown and every year we have become more of a family and a collective. It has been so nice to see, and I am excited to help lead that."
Although Cruthers is the youngest of the group, he is excited for what he can bring to the table. The 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year is poised for a great season on the pitch but is also ready to pass on what he has learned from his time at the collegiate level.
"It's a lot of responsibility but it's a position I have been in before," Cruthers said. "I am excited to be able to help some of the younger guys like the older guys have helped me. It's really an honor."
All three will don the captain arm band this season and are excited to bring RU to new heights.
The Returners
The Scarlet Knights return a solid 17 student-athletes to the 2024 roster. This includes three of the top five goal scorers in Ola Maeland, Curt Calov and Ian Abbey. The three combined for 10 goals.
The team also returns some core members of their defense including Joey Zalinsky, Big Ten All-Freshman honoree Nicholas Collins, Erick Ruiz and Devon Stopek.
In addition, goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton comes back for his junior season after posting four wins, 53 saves and one shutout in 14 matches in 2023.
Introducing the Freshmen
Going into his sixth season, McElderry and his staff welcomed 11 freshmen during the offseason, tied for the biggest recruiting class since 2019.
The class is comprised of four international student-athletes: Kristófer Arnarsson (Grafarvogur, Iceland), Anthony Morano (Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada), Scott Godden (Leeds, England) and Arnar Adalsteinsson (Kopavogur, Iceland).
The remaining seven rookies are from the east coast, including six from New Jersey: Graham Kois (Scotch Plains, N.J.), Matty Lynch (Chesterfield, N.J.), Eddie Krupski (Clark, N.J.), Illia Tyrkus (Bridgewater, N.J.), Dylan Carlson (Sayreville, N.J.), Lenny Aviles (East Windsor, N.J.) and Thomas Angelone (Boston, Mass.).
Godden is the only freshman to start all five games this season while Adalsteinsson has started four and Dylan Carlson two. Five others have also seen time on the pitch.
Nonconference Schedule
The Scarlet Knights will face seven nonconference opponents before diving into Big Ten play.
Having already faced Northeastern, Delaware, Princeton, Lehigh and Providence the team has yet to face Seton Hall and Yale.
While multiple teams made runs in their respective conference tournaments, Yale won the Ivy League and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
B1G Updates
With the official expansion of the Big Ten over the summer, Rutgers will face two new faces in UCLA and Washington.
RU will post the Bruins in Piscataway for the first time as a member of the league on Friday, Oct. 18 (7 p.m.). The teams renewed their historic rivalry with matches in 2022 and 2023. UCLA picked up victories in both meetings.
The Scarlet Knights will travel to face the Huskies on Friday Oct. 25 at 10 p.m. ET. It will be just the fifth meeting between the two programs and the first since 1998.
Scouting the Pirates
Rutgers will face Seton Hall for the first time since 2009. The Scarlet Knights have won the two most recent meetings in 2008 and 2009.
In a 63-year span from the first meeting in 1946 to the last in 2009, the teams met 54 times. The Scarlet Knights do own the all-time edge against the Pirates, 33-16-5.
SHU is 4-0 on the season, defeating FIU (1-0), UAlbany (2-1), Manhattan (1-0) and Columbia (2-0). Six Pirates have scored so far this season, as Sam Bjork and Jared Smith lead the squad with three points.
Up Next
Rutgers will remain at home to face Indiana to open the Big Ten schedule on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to wear black for a Black Out of Yurcak Field. Admission is free.
