In the fourth round of the NCAA Division-one women's soccer tournament between the top-seeded Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the second-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks went down to the wire on Black Friday. In the end, the Big Ten Champion and fourth-ranked nationally Rutgers women's soccer team outlasted their adversary 4-2 on penalty-kicks to move on to their second Final Four since 2015 and second in program history, which dates back to 1984.
A 'Fast and Furious' First Half
The game began fast and furious, just as the crowd who gathered at Yurcak Field in Piscataway to see 'RU' battle seventh-ranked, Arkansas Razorbacks in temperatures that never rose above 40 degrees.
In the second minute of the match, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Riley Tiernan scored a brilliant goal with her left-foot to give the home side an early one-nil lead.
#RUWS LEADS‼️ Just two minutes into this match and Riley TIernan has the Scarlet Knights on the board! Sara Brocious and Frankie Tagliaferri on the assistst!! pic.twitter.com/3XKW9wdSyU
— RUWS | BIG TEN CHAMPIONS (@RUWSoccer) November 27, 2021
However, the seventh-ranked team in NCAA D-1, Arkansas, answered back in the seventh minute. The play started when an Arkansas midfielder took a shot from distance that deflected off a Rutgers defender and fell to midfielder Ellie Podojil in the 18-yard-box. The sophomore would collect the loose ball and chip it over a diving Rutgers goalkeeper, Meagan McClelland to tie the game at one.
Then just eight minutes later, the seventh-seeded Arkansas went ahead 2-1 on defender Reagan Swindall's headed goal off the visitors' first corner-kick of the match.
Rutgers were nullified for the next 20 minutes, but started inching back into the NCAA playoff ring when they earned their first corner kick of the match in the 36th minute. In the 37th minute, Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, Frankie Tagliaferri was subbed off for Kylie Daigle.
After Tagliaferri left, who led the Scarlet Knights with 13 goals this season, her teammates had the wherewithal to carry the torch for their fallen senior. Becci Fluchel started a play by making a short pass to Tiernan in Arkansas half. Then, Tiernan, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year cut to the middle of the field and played a clever through ball to Big Ten Forward of the Year, Amirah Ali.
AMIRAH. ALI‼️
Ali ties up the game with a score in the 43rd minute! Becci FLuchel and Riley Tiernan on the assists to make this a 2-2 game! pic.twitter.com/G7XukBZPEd
— RUWS | BIG TEN CHAMPIONS (@RUWSoccer) November 27, 2021
The Senior from Voorhees, New Jersey dribbled past the defense until she was in on goal. Then, she ripped a cool, left-footed shot that beat the Razorback goalkeeper inside the left post. Ali's go-ahead goal was her 11th in all competitions this season and second in four games of NCAA Tournament play.
The Narrowest of Margins
There was not much doing in the second half as neither team found that third, potentially game-winning-goal. The stats describe how close the game was. Both teams had eight shots-on-goal after 90 minutes had been played.
The NCAA Tournament rules designated two ten-minute Overtime halves were to be played and if neither team scored, the game would go into a penalty shootout.
With one minute left in the first half of overtime, Rutgers freshman, Riley Tiernan ripped a hard, rising shot that Warner grabbed in mid-air. Then, senior, Amirah Ali had a chance to score one-on-one with the keeper but tapped her shot wide of the right post. The two teams played it tight in the second overtime half and penalties would commence.
Podojil missed the first spot-kick for the visitors. Rutgers' sophomore Becci Fluchel scored the first penalty for Rutgers, which set the crowd ablaze in the upper-30s cold. Arkansas made their fourth penalty to tie the score at 1-1, Ali scored upper ninety to put Rutgers back in front.
In an uncommon move, Big Ten Coach of the Year, Mike O'Neill opted to have goalkeeper, McClelland take RU's third penalty and the senior made it to give her team a 3-1 advantage. The visitors scored their fourth attempt to make it 3-2.
Arkansas missed two penalties already and that set the stage for freshman, Riley Tiernan to send the Rutgers Scarlet Knights onto the Final Four of NCAA D-1 women's soccer. There was never any doubt as the Freshman from Voorhees, New Jersey sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and kicked the ball on the ground and into the right corner of the net to send Rutgers to their second College Cup semi-final in their 37-year program history.
𝕱𝖎𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝕱𝖔𝖚𝖗 bound.
.@RUWSoccer does it again in PKs, winning 4-2. 😱
For only the second time in school history, the Scarlet Knights advance to the NCAA 𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖌𝖊 𝕮𝖚𝖕. 💥 pic.twitter.com/XRS4I2Dv9t
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 27, 2021
Advancing to the Final Four
The Final Four is described on NCAA.com as the "College Cup." Rutgers is the fourth-ranked team nationally and will face the number-one team in NCAA D-1 women's soccer, Florida State on Dec. 3.
According to the NCAA D-1 women's soccer rankings, Rutgers is now ranked third in the country, but their opponent in next week's semi-final will be the number-one-ranked Florida State Seminoles. This game will be the first time in 24 games this season that Rutgers play a team ranked higher than they are.
It is also important to note that the Big Ten Champions mostly faced lower-ranked teams during the regular season, while they did face Georgetown, who was ranked 24th at the time, during the regular season, but Rutgers first meeting with Michigan when they were 16th ended in a 4-1 victory. However, when the two sides met again in the Big Ten final, the Wolverines outdueled the Scarlet Knights 1-0.
Will the Rutgers women's soccer team wilt under the pressure in balmy southern California, or 'So Cal' as the hip would call it? It certainly will be an interesting game and a challenge that Rutgers will be thinking about from now until Friday, Dec. 3, when they will have the opportunity of a lifetime; upsetting the best team in the country.
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