Women’s Soccer Visits Princeton Friday

PRINCETON, N.J. – Rutgers ladies’s soccer hits the highway for the primary time in 2025 when it visits in-state rival Princeton on Friday night . 

Match Details

Rutgers (2-0) at Princeton (0-0)

5 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 22

Roberts Stadium (Princeton, N.J.) 

Stream: ESPN+ (Jeff O’Connor & Riliegh McHugh)

Head Coach Mike O’Neill leads the Scarlet Knights in his twelfth season, because the Scarlet Knights certified for his or her thirteenth consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2024 with an 11-win marketing campaign and look within the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. They have certified for the convention event all 11 years within the Big Ten. 

Last Time Out

Rutgers picked up a pair of shutout wins to open the season, downing NJIT 3-0 within the season opener final Thursday and Fairfield 2-0 on Sunday. Five completely different Scarlet Knights have discovered the again of the web, with Patricia Tsokos, Ashley Baran and Sophia Stiles scoring in opposition to the Highlanders. Nata Ramirez and Lindsey Hailey every scored within the first half in opposition to the Stags. Olivia Bodmer returned in opposition to Fairfield after lacking the primary sport and made seven saves and picked up her seventeenth profession shutout. 

The 2025 Scarlet Knights  

The 2025 roster includes a complete of 29 gamers, with 15 returners and 14 newcomers. Of the 14 newcomers, 9 are true freshmen and 5 are four-year transfers  Head Coach Mike O’Neill enters his twelfth season on the helm of this system and has reached the NCAA Tournament all 11 seasons to date. 

O’Neill’s teaching workers stays intact, with affiliate head coach Lubos Ancin, assistant coach Madison Tiernan and assistant coach Ryan Nigro all returning. The group – together with Director of Operations Trish DiPaolo – has served collectively on the workers for six straight seasons.

Bodmer within the Back 

Goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer is without doubt one of the finest within the nation, certainly one of simply three goalies nationally to be named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watchlist. Bodmer picked up seven saves in her season debut to safe her seventeenth profession shutout and eclipse the 150 profession save mark.

Ramirez’s immediate Impact

Graduate switch Nata Ramirez has been the sparkplug for the Rutgers assault via two matches. Against NJIT, Ramirez collected a pair of assists within the 3-0 win. She adopted that up with the game-winning purpose in opposition to Fairfield to present her a team-best 4 factors on the younger season.

Hailey’s Motor 

True freshman Lindsey Hailey is the one participant on the crew to have performed all 90 minutes in each matches this season, beginning each at middle again. Hailey has helped RU submit a pair of shutouts, together with no pictures on purpose allowed in opposition to NJIT. In addition to her defensive contributions, Hailey helped put away the win in opposition to Fairfield when she pounced on a unfastened ball on a nook kick to present Rutgers a 2-0 lead in opposition to the Stags.

Danger on Set Pieces 

Rutgers has been harmful on set items, scoring three of their 5 targets on account of nook kicks.  Against NJIT, Sophia Stiles headed a close to Olimpico from Nata Ramirez. Against Fairfield, Ramirez chipped in an extended shot after a nook and Lindsey Hailey slammed in a rebound after one other near-Olimpico from Olivia Russomanno.

The Captains 

Head coach Mike O’Neill named GK Olivia Bodmer, M Gabriela Gil and M/F Allie Post because the crew’s captains for 2025.  Bodmer is a two-time captain and one of many prime goalies within the nation, being named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watchlist. Gil returns to the sphere this yr after lacking the final eight matches of 2024 with harm, however was nonetheless ranked the No. 32 freshman within the nation by TopDrawerSoccer and earned a Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor in October. Post has essentially the most Rutgers expertise of any returner, coming into the season with 50 video games of expertise and 26 begins, proudly owning 5 profession targets and 6 assists.

Fresh Faces

Against Fairfield, RU put out a beginning XI that featured eight newcomers, together with three freshman.  Through two matches, 9 Scarlet Knights have made their collegiate debut and 14 have made their Rutgers debut.

Captains
O’Neill lately named Olivia Bodmer, Gabriela Gil and Allie Post as crew captains for the Scarlet Knights in 2025. 

The trio has performed a key half within the Scarlet Knights persevering with their streak of 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. 

 

“Olivia, Gabi and Allie exemplify what it means to be captains in the Rutgers Women’s Soccer program,” O’Neill stated. “Their leadership set the standard for our team culture—built on trust, accountability and a relentless effort on a daily basis. Through their voice, positive example, and unwavering dedication, they’ve established an environment where every player is supported and driven to compete together to win the day.”

Big Ten Players to Watch 

Forward Ashley Baran, goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer and midfielder/ahead Nata Ramirez have been all named Big Ten Players to Watch by the convention. 

Baran led the Scarlet Knights in 2024 with six targets, including an help to present her 13 factors on the season, second-most on the crew. Starting all 21 video games at goalkeeper in 2024, Bodmer posted seven solo (eight mixed) shutouts, a 0.99 GAA and made 73 saves. Ramirez was named First Team All-Ivy and Second Team All-Region in 2024 after main the Columbia with each seven targets and eight assists for 22 factors on the marketing campaign.

Scouting the Schedule 

The Scarlet Knights are set to tackle 9 groups that certified for final season’s NCAA Tournament, together with three nonconference foes in Fairfield, Princeton and UConn in addition to defending Big Ten champions UCLA. 

Additional nonconference house matches embody Air Force on Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. and UConn on Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. The Scarlet Knights will journey to Princeton on Aug. 22 and Providence on Sept. 6 earlier than coming into the Big Ten portion of their schedule. 

 

Conference play kicks off in opposition to Michigan State at Yurcak Field on Sept. 12 and RU may have 5 complete house Big Ten matches and 6 away matches. The full convention schedule is Michigan State (Sept. 12), at Minnesota (Sep. 18),  Indiana (Sept. 21), at UCLA (Sept. 25), at USC (Sept. 28), Penn State (Oct. 4 or 5), at Illinois (Oct. 9), at Northwestern (Oct. 12), Ohio State (Oct. 16), Michigan (Oct. 19) and at Maryland (Oct. 26). 

 

Follow Rutgers Women’s Soccer on Social Media   

X | Instagram | Facebook