In September of this current season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer team were riding high, coming off of their hottest start to a season since 1985 while ranking as high as 22nd in the country by the United Soccer Coaches.
But with two games left in the season, the Scarlet Knights are looking to regain that momentum as the Big Ten tournament approaches.
The month of October has not been nearly as kind to the men's soccer team as the previous month. After concluding September with a scoreless tie against No. 8 Maryland, Rutgers has lost three of their next four, with all four games against Big Ten opponents.
Although the Scarlet Knights still hold a total record above .500 at 8-4-2, they currently hold the seventh seed in the Big Ten conference with the tournament creeping closer. They hold an uninspiring record of 2-4-1 against conference opponents.
The skid is largely responsible due to the offense, which has struggled immensely to find the back of the net recently. Including the first loss of the season against Wisconsin and the scoreless tie against Maryland, the team has scored a total of four goals in their last six games. This put a significant amount of pressure on goalkeeper Oren Asher to perform, and while he has continued to play well, he hasn't been as dominant as he was in the first ten games of the year, which saw him shut out the opposition six times. In the month of October, he has allowed no more than two goals in a game, but he has not posted a shutout since the Maryland match, and with the offense struggling, the few lapses in defense have proven costly.
After the scoreless tie against No. 8 Maryland, the Scarlet Knights rose to 22nd on the United Soccer Coaches poll, but this would come at a cost. During that game, defender Vincent Borden and midfielder Pablo Avila, the latter serving as the team captain, were both injured and would be unavailable in Rutgers' home match against Penn State. Their losses were clearly felt, as the Scarlet Knights would be shut out for the third consecutive game. Rutgers outshot Penn State 13-10 and had four shots on goal as opposed to three, but Asher made only one save while allowing a goal in each half.
Still ranked 22nd in the nation, the Scarlet Knights stayed at Yurcak Field to take on Michigan State. Despite falling behind early, Rutgers tied the game in the second half on a goal by Cole Sotack, the first of his collegiate career, to end the scoreless streak for the offense. Unfortunately, Rutgers would not score again, and Asher, who made three saves, surrendered the golden goal in double overtime.
After the tough homestand that resulted in the Scarlet Knights losing their ranked status, Rutgers began a three-game road trip, with the first stop at Northwestern. In Evanston, the Scarlet Knights finally returned to the win column with a 2-1 victory. Asher turned aside a pair of shots, Jackson Temple scored his third goal of the season 20 minutes into the match, and Ritchie Barry's second goal of the season at the 80 minute mark would prove to be the difference.
But as the trip shifted to Ann Arbor, Asher's six save effort would be squandered in a 2-1 loss to Michigan. Chris Tiao scored his first goal of the season at the 51 minute mark to tie the game at one, but Michigan would take the lead for good roughly twelve minutes later. It was the Scarlet Knights' first road loss of the year.
Rutgers looks to conclude the road trip with a win against Connecticut on October 26 in their final non-conference game of the regular season. After that is the regular season finale, as the Scarlet Knights take on Ohio State on Halloween at Yurcak Field before starting the Big Ten tournament.
What Does this Mean for Rutgers?
Even with the late-season slump, the Scarlet Knights' eight wins are the most for the men's soccer program since 2015. Regardless, a season that saw Rutgers rise into the top 25 now sees them as one of the lower overall seeds entering Big Ten tournament play. The team found lightning in a bottle early in the year, but if they look to make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament and qualify for the NCAA tournament, they need another spark of momentum and fast.
The team's struggles late in the year are also a major contrast to the women's soccer team. Unlike the men's team, who started strong but cooled down, the Lady Knights only got stronger as their season progressed, ending the season on an 11-game winning streak and a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play, giving them the Big Ten Title outright and the top seed in their respective Big Ten tournament. The women's team also made history in the process; their Big Ten Title is the first in Rutgers' school history. Entering the postseason, the Lady Knights are surging with momentum and are one of the best teams in the nation.
Hopefully, the men's team can replicate some of the incredible achievements by the women's team by getting hot at the right time. While the Lady Knights have earned their place in Rutgers' history with sheer dominance, the men's team will have to do so with a Cinderella run. Both teams, however, look to make the university proud and firmly establish Rutgers as one of the all-around best soccer programs in the country.
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