PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The Rutgers men's soccer team (5-2-1, 1-1 B1G) will return to Big Ten play as the team hosts Ohio State (4-3, 1-0 B1G) on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The contest, which will be available to stream on B1G+, will be a Blackout at Yurcak Field.
Last Time Out
The Scarlet Knights defeated FDU, 3-2, on Sept. 23 at Yurcak Field to remain 3-0 at home.
RU was the first to get on the scoreboard after applying some early pressure to the FDU backline. Following a loose ball off a corner kick, Camron Boumsong played a right-footed strike past the Knight goalkeeper and into the back of the net for the opening tally.
Thirteen minutes later, FDU found the equalizer off a through ball that led to a streaking counterattack for the Knights. However, the Scarlet Knights were able to regain the lead just before half on a Nick Collins goal.
Coming out of the break, FDU would again knot the score, this time in the 52nd minute. With just under 10 minutes left on the clock in the second half, the Scarlet Knights pulled ahead for good on a Kitch tally, his second point of the evening. Following a ball from Boumsong into the far corner, Dan Karsten sent a low cross into the sliding foot of Kitch just past the outstretched dive of the FDU keeper for the game-winning goal.
2025 Team Captains
Cole Cruthers will return as a captain for the fall 2025 campaign after donning the arm band last season as a junior.
In addition, Cruthers will be supported by a leadership group including Devon Stopek, Erick Ruiz, Ciaran Dalton and Joschi Schelb.
In the Books
Goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton has been a mainstay for Rutgers since he joined the team as a freshman. With his senior season in front of him, Dalton has already cemented himself in the Rutgers men's soccer record book.
The Pearl River, New York native currently ranks fifth all-time with 55 career games in net. He also moved up to eighth all-time with 195 career saves, just four stops away from seventh place.
The Returners
RU returns seven players who started 10 or more games last season, including six who registered points.
Ciaran Dalton and Devon Stopek started every game of the 2024 slate while Nick Collins (16), Nestor Cabrera (15), Scott Godden (15), Arnar Adalsteinsson (13) and Cole Cruthers (11) also all started double-digit games for the Scarlet Knights.
Transferring In
Rutgers welcomed seven transfers to the team this offseason.
Joschi Schelb (St. Francis University, Pa.), Camron Boumsong (St. John's University), Andrew Kitch (University of North Carolina) and Timo Jansen (University of Albany) all joined the team this spring while Logan Brown (Clemson), Dan Karsten (Lipscomb) and Amer Lukovic (Montclair State) came "On The Banks" during the summer.
Schelb (6), Karsten (2), Kitch (2), Boumsong (2) and Lukovic (1) have all found the back of the net for the Scarlet Knights so far this campaign. In addition, Jansen has recorded an assist while playing a big role in the midfield.
Introducing the Freshmen
McElderry and his staff also brought in a big freshmen class of nine players. Jude Essuman, Cedric Lemaire and Jack Andrus joined the Scarlet Knights earlier in the spring of 2025 while Jeffrey Bryjack, Simon Gorczowski, Jaden Gordon, Joshua Jerome, Braxton Montgomery and Ailan Panton came ahead of preseason.
Montgomery has started all seven games on the backline this slate while Essuman netted a goal for RU.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State is riding back-to-back road wins against Butler (4-0) and Michigan State (3-2). Marko Borkovic leads the team with four goals and 11 points after he tallied two goals and an assist in the win at MSU.
RU is 4-7-1 against the Buckeyes in the all-times series and has fallen in the last two meetings.
Up Next
Rutgers will play its third consecutive home game against Monmouth on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.
Follow Along
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