Rutgers Women’s Soccer exits NCAA tournament with 2-0 loss UPDATED

A rematch of a regular season game — an overtime loss. Against the No. 5 team in the country and the No. 2 seed in the Stanford bracket. On the opponent’s home field. It was not going to be an easy match.

After making a tremendous run in the 2015 tournament, ending in a College Cup Final Four appearance, Rutgers reached the end of its season with a second round loss to Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament, 2-0.

“I’m so proud of the seniors and the way that they led the program,” said head coach Mike O’Neill. “Just under half the team was new, and the leadership of the captains, senior and junior class was fantastic. Today’s game, we just never really found our rhythm. But I never fault their effort. From day one, they’ve given us their best and the coaching staff is so proud of them.”

The Hoyas struck first with a goal in the 19th minute of play. Amanda Carolan put in the game’s first tally off an assist from Rachel Corboz. It was a long pass down the middle of the field, with Carolan beating RU’s keeper Alana Jimenez one-on-one. In that first half, Rutgers had no shots on goal while the Hoyas had three on goal, five shots overall. Alana Jimenez had two saves in the half for the Knights. RU would not get a shot on goal until the 62nd minute of play.

The second half opened with Georgetown playing a bit ragged, without much rhythm, but the Knights could not take advantage of the lack of success by the Hoyas. Chantelle Swaby had a great opportunity with about 15 minutes to go, passing the ball to herself in the box but being shielded before a shot could be taken.

In the 82nd minute, the Hoyas’ Corboz put a corner into the box and Marina Paul headed it into the hands of keeper Alana Jimenez. But Jimenez took the ball over the goal line and the linesman called the goal for a 2-0 GU lead.

While Rutgers had three 0-0 ties during the season, it had not been shutout in a loss all year. Georgetown had a dozen shutout victories prior to today’s game.

In the first game of the doubleheader at Shaw Field on the Georgetown campus, Virginia shutout defending national champion Penn State, 3-0. The Cavaliers will face Georgetown on Sunday at noon.

Rutgers closes the season at 12-5-6 while the Hoyas continue on with an 18-2-3 record.

GAME NOTES

• Rutgers advanced to its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament in 2016, including its third conference final in the last four seasons.

• The program advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons.

• RU dropped to 11-9-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

• Madison Tiernan will go down in the Rutgers record books second all-time in shots (275), tied for fifth in game-winning goals (nine), sixth all-time in total goals (25), and seventh all-time in points (66).

• Alana Jimenez finished tied for third on the single-season shutout list with 11 in her redshirt senior campaign.

• Erin Smith started 73 consecutive matches for Rutgers to close out her career.

On the Banks will update this post with post-game comments and/or video as it becomes available.