Women’s Soccer Hosts Michigan State in Big Ten Opener

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers girls’s soccer opens Big Ten play on Friday in opposition to Michigan State at 4 p.m. at Yurcak Field. It marks the Scarlet Out and followers are inspired to put on scarlet to the sport. 

Match Details

Rutgers (2-0-3) vs. Michigan State (3-2-2)

4 p.m. | Friday, Sep. 12

Yurcak Field (Piscataway, N.J.)

Stream: B1G+ (Dom Savino and Kristian Dyer

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 match all 11 years within the Big Ten. 

The 2025 Scarlet Knights  

The 2025 roster encompasses 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 up to now. 

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.

Last Time Out  

Rutgers is on a streak of three straight ties, most just lately taking part in to a 0-0 draw in opposition to UConn on Aug. 31.

Olivia Bodmer made one other three saves and has three shutouts in 4 matches performed this season.

Bodmer within the Back 

Goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer is among the greatest within the nation, certainly one of simply three goalies nationally to be named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watchlist.

Bodmer owns 23 saves throughout 4 matches this season, with three shutouts and only one aim allowed, bringing her profession totals to 19 shutouts and 169 saves.

Her .958 save proportion is eleventh within the nation, her 5.75 saves per recreation lead the Big Ten and her .250 GAA are fifteenth within the nation.

Ramirez’s Instant Impact

Graduate switch Nata Ramirez has been the sparkplug for the Rutgers assault via 4 matches. 

Against NJIT, Ramirez collected a pair of assists within the 3-0 win. She adopted that up with the game-winning aim 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 all 5 matches this season, beginning each match at heart again. 

Hailey has helped RU submit 4 shutouts in its first 5 matches, together with no pictures on aim 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. 

Hailey has helped anchor a again line that’s eighth within the nation with a .200 GAA.

Danger on Set Pieces 

Rutgers has been harmful on set items, scoring three of their six objectives 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 sector this yr after lacking the final eight matches of 2024 with damage, 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 probably the most Rutgers expertise of any returner, getting into the season with 50 video games of expertise and 26 begins, proudly owning 5 profession objectives and 6 assists.

Fresh Faces

Against Princeton and Fairfield, RU put out a beginning XI that featured eight newcomers, together with three freshman. 

Three of the crew’s six objectives have come from three totally different true freshmen – Kennedi Cotter, Lindsey Hailey and Sophia Stiles.

This yr, 9 Scarlet Knights have made their collegiate debut and 14 have made their Rutgers debut.

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 objectives, 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 objectives 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 dwelling 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 getting 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 dwelling 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). 

 

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