Rutgers
Michigan State
Oct 29 | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. ā Rutgers men's soccer will finish out the 2026 regular season at No. 8 Michigan State on Friday night. Ā
Match Details Ā
Rutgers (7-6-2, 5-3-1 Big Ten) vs. #8 Michigan State (10-2-3, 5-1-2 B1G)Ā
7 p.m. ET | Friday, Oct. 30Ā
DeMartin Stadium | East Lansing, Mich.Ā
TV: B1G+ / YouTubeĀ
Last Time OutĀ Ā Ā
Rutgers men's soccer (5-5-2, 3-2-1) played to a 3-3 draw against Michigan (4-6-4, 1-3-2) on Friday night at Yurcak Field.Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights came out of the gate hot, finding the back of the net in the third minute. Francesco Di Ponzio continued his scoring streak, tallying his third goal in as many matches, with assists from Amer Lukovic and Dan Karsten. Ā Ā
3 games, 3 goals for Francesco Di Ponzio š„ šŗ B1G+ š https://t.co/yOjRFsd8jx #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/FhPBUdu9TD
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 23, 2026
Rutgers doubled its lead in the 31st minute when Zach Mastrodimos unleashed a low strike for his first goal at Yurcak Field and second of the season. Jeffrey Bryjak and Karsten were credited with assists as the Scarlet Knights took a 2-0 lead into halftime.Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights wasted little time adding to their advantage after the break, as Matty Lynch found the back of the net with assists from Thomas Angelone and Bryjak, once again,Ā to make it 3-0.Ā Ā
48' | Matty Lynch makes it 3-0 š¤© šŗ B1G+ š https://t.co/yOjRFsd8jx #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/lj3mymAQNV
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 24, 2026
Michigan responded with three second-half goals, including the equalizer in the 76th minute, as Rutgers settled for a 3-3 draw despite a dominant offensive performance.Ā
Back22Back Ā
Francesco Di Ponzio has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week following a five-point performance across two matches. Ā Ā
Back22Back š Francesco Di Ponzio earns his second consecutive Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Award! š°: https://t.co/vV11ESb8ez #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/9N9Nu0aa4i
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 27, 2026
Di Ponzio recorded two goals and one assist to lead Rutgers to a 5-0 road victory at Penn State on Oct. 20 before playing Michigan to a 3-3 draw on Oct. 23.Ā He totaled eight shots, including five on goal, across the two contests.Ā Ā
The senior midfielderĀ helped Rutgers jump out to an early lead in its dominant 5-0 shutout victory at Penn State. He assisted Dan Karsten's opening goal just 58 seconds into the match before finding the back of the net himself in the seventh minute. Ā Ā
Di Ponzio carried that momentum into RU'sĀ Senior Knight matchup against Michigan, opening the scoring in the third minute. Ā Ā
The Oakland, New Jersey nativeĀ now has three goals and four assists for 10 points this season.Ā Ā
Ranked ReapersĀ
Rutgers men's soccer has proven it can compete with the nation's best, earning a series of impressive upsets against nationally ranked opponents.Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights opened their run of ranked victories with a stunning 3-1 win over No. 11 UCLA on Sept. 11, highlighted by goals from Nick Collins, Erick Ruiz and William Pierce. Rutgers followed up with a 2-0 victory over No. 11 Princeton at Yurcak Field behind scores from Abubakar Mayanja and Pierce. RU kept the momentum going on the road, with a 2-1 win over No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus, completing three consecutive ranked wins in a 10-day span.Ā Ā
Most recently, the Scarlet Knights delivered their biggest win of the season, taking down previously unbeaten No. 2 Indiana, 1-0, at Yurcak Field on Oct. 16 behind Francesco di Ponzio's second-half goal and a strong defensive effort. The victory marked Rutgers' second win over a top three opponent this season and its highest-ranked win of the Jim McElderry era.Ā
The ReturnersĀ Ā Ā
Rutgers returns 17 student-athletes who saw action during the 2025 season, including seven players who started at least 12 matches.Ā Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights bring back three key pieces of the backline in Collins, Braxton Montgomery and Devon Stopek, all of whom appeared in every match last season.Ā Ā Ā
In addition, Rutgers returns eight of its 10 goal scorers from a year ago, accounting for 17 of the team's goals in 2025.Ā Ā Ā
Welcoming the NewcomersĀ Ā Ā
McElderry and his staff welcomed 11 new faces "On The Banks" during the offseason, including seven transfers and four first-year players.Ā Ā Ā
The transfer class brings veteran talent from across the country, combining for 103 career games of collegiate experience.Ā Ā Ā
Transfers: Rafael Ponce de Leon (Northwestern), Charlie Kitch (Elon), Pius Ssebulime (Gardner-Webb), Zach Mastrodimos (UCLA), William Pierce (Fairfield), Jan Ziewiec (Hofstra) and Abubaker Mayanja (UNC)Ā Ā Ā
First Years: Brian Nascimento, Julian Chapman, Noah Hannawald and Hector CriadoĀ Ā
Follow Rutgers Men's Soccer on Social MediaĀ Ā Ā Ā
