Women’s Soccer Scores Late, Tops Providence, 1-0

The Scarlet Knights did something Thursday evening that the Friars’s previous five opponents could not: put a ball past a Providence goalie. Providence was the only team remaining in NCAA Division 1 soccer to not allow a goal this season prior to last night’s game.

The match at Yurcak took place on a sweltering, pizza oven type of night that featured sophomore keeper Olivia Bodmer squaring off against her older sister Emma, senior goalie for the Friars, who splits matches with teammate Katherine McElroy. It was the eighth NCAA match this season in which sisters have played against each other.

Rutgers would ultimately prevail 1-0 on a dramatic goal by Giana Romano in the 81st minute off of a near-perfect ball struck by Kylie Daigle that bounced off the crossbar. Teammate Allison Lowrey tried to head the ball in but it was blocked. The opportunistic Romano tapped the loose ball across the goal line, breaking the deadlock and propelling the Knights to victory.

The late second half saw tense moments for both squads. In the 67th minute, Rutgers net minder Bodmer raced out to make a point blank save, keeping the match scoreless. In the 73rd minute, Rutgers nearly took the league when Sam Kroeger rocketed a free kick just outside the box towards the right post that required Friar keeper McElroy to extend fully to make the save. Then, eight minutes later, Daigle would send a nearly perfectly placed ball off the crossbar that Romano was able to tap in for the winner.

Rutgers improves to 3-2-2 on the season while Providence drops to 5-1.

Quotable

“It was a hard-earned win and one that we thought we earned through a great week of training and a positive mentality. Olivia really got us going in the second half with a big save, and that gave us a push forward to earn that goal and come out with a win. We know we’re a good team and have played better than our record, so it’s great to get one tonight.”

Rutgers Head Coach Mike O’Neill

Notable

• Rutgers switched from a 4-3-3 offense to a 4-4-2 as noted by former coach and current Big Ten announcer Glen Crooks. Crooks also pointed out Riley Tiernan moved to the midfield as an attacker to give the explosive junior more opportunities on the ball.
• Providence outshot Rutgers 14-12 but put only three on net, compared to the Knights’s six on goal.
• Grad transfer Gia Vicari continues to struggle, missing a golden opportunity unimpeded in front of the net early in the match to put one past Friars’s keeper Bodmer.
• Gia Girman, who was looking at missing 2-8 weeks according to announcer Crooks, played in the match and has made a speedy recovery.
• Stout defender Kassidy Banks also returned from injury.
• Former Big East member Rutgers is now 18-2-1 against Providence all-time, including a 9-0-1 mark at Yurcak Field. The Scarlet Knights are unbeaten at 4-0-1 over their last five against the Friars (courtesy Rutgers Athletics).

Next Up

The Scarlet Knights remain home to host UMass on Senior Day. The match is this Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. at Yurcak Field, streaming live on B1G+.