THE DETAILS

Big Ten tournament semifinals
Do. November 7
3:00 PM ET (2:00 PM CT) at CITYPARK (St. Louis, Mo.)
#5 seed Rutgers (11-3-4)
vs. No. 1 seed No. 4 USC (15-1-2)

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Rutgers finished fifth in the new 18-team Big Ten with 21 points from a 6-2-3 conference record. The Scarlet Knights won 10 games in the regular season for the 11th time in 12 full seasons (excluding 2020), earning road ties at No. 1 Michigan State and No. 19 Penn State. Rutger’s highest RPI win came via a 1-0 win over No. 25 Wisconsin to open Big Ten play.

Ashley Baran scored the Golden Goal 4:27 into the first overtime period to send fifth-seeded Rutgers (11-3-4) past fourth-seeded and No. 16-ranked Michigan State (12-2-5) in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament by the University of Minnesota. The Scarlet Knights overcame an own goal with an equalizer just 31 seconds into the match Gia Girman (assisted by Riley Tiernan) and the extra-time winner by Baran (assisted by Tiernan and Girman).

No. 4 USC’s only loss this season came when No. 4. 1 Stanford returned on September 8, a 2-1 setback on the road. The Trojans went undefeated at 10-0-1 in the Big Ten and captured the conference championship. They defeated No. 8 UCLA 1-0 on the final day of the regular season to capture the title in their first season in the Big Ten. . Top-seeded USC then defeated No. 8 and No. 10 Ohio State with a Golden Goal in the first overtime period to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament with a 1-0 victory in Monday’s quarterfinals.

EXPLORING THE TROJANS

USC won the Big Ten title in its first season in the Big Ten Conference. Ten Trojans were honored at the 2024 Big Ten Awards, including Helena Sampaio named Midfielder of the Year, Laurence Gladu named Goalkeeper of the Year and Jane Alukonis named Coach of the Year. Four Trojans earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, with Gladu and Sampaio joining them Maile Hayes And Brooklyn Courtnall. Maria Alagoa was named to the All-Big Ten second team and Kayla Colbert And Simone Jackson earned third team recognition. Believe George And Ines Derrien were named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

The Scarlet Knights met the Trojans once in their history 20 years ago, when USC won a double-overtime thriller 3-2 in California.

BEST IN THE B1G

Rutgers women’s soccer placed three Scarlet Knights among the 2024 All-Big Ten honors, which were announced by the conference office on Friday. Senior Emily Mason was named to the All-Big Ten First Team, senior Riley Tiernan is on the second team, and Shaela Bradley has been selected to the All-Freshman Team. Senior Kassidy Banks earned the team’s Sportsmanship Award.

GIRMAN ENGAGED

Senior forward Gia Girman has started the last two games, including a 68-minute run in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over No. 16 Michigan State. Girman scored the equalizer in the 31st minute before laying in the winning assist in the first extra period. Girman has two goals and three assists during her senior season, including the game-winner in the 1-0 win over Wisconsin to open Big Ten play 1-0.

THE ASSISTANT QUEEN

Senior striker Riley Tiernan‘S two assists in the 3–0 win over Oregon on September 19 gave her 30 for her career, setting the new school record for career assists at Rutgers. She tied and passed Gina DeMaio’s (2006-10) previous school record of 29. Tiernan now ranks fourth in the NCAA and tops the Big Ten with her 11 assists this season.

“It’s all down to the team,” Tiernan said. “We have a lot of talent and depth this year, so knowing that I can distribute the ball and that my teammates are going to put it in the back of the net is critical. You can’t be an assist without the people who go.” to put the ball away.”

Tiernan’s 33rd and 34th career assists in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals moved her into sixth place in the Big Ten all-time record book and her 19 points this season gave her a career-high 72 points, good for sixth in the history of Rutgers.

POINTS OF EMPHASIS

Rutgers returned 41 percent of its 2023 points and was looking for new sources of offense heading into 2024. The underclassmen responded with four Scarlet Knights recording their first collegiate points early this season.

First-year midfielder Shaela Bradleywho has started all 17 games, scored her first goal in the win over Maine and added her first assist in the win over Lehigh. Bradley is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and ranks second on the team with 11 points on four goals and three assists, including the tying goal to earn the 1-1 tie at No. 19 Penn State.

Redshirt freshman Reilly McGlinn opened her collegiate scoring with Rutgers’ goal against Wake Forest in the 1-1 tie and dished in her first assist in the win over Maine. Redshirt freshman Gabriela Gil scored the opening goal and game winner against Lehigh for her first score, and scored the game winner in the 1-0 win at Michigan. Freshman Mikayla Mandleur scored her first collegiate point on the assist in the Lehigh triumph.

Gabriela Gil claimed Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after scoring a high-pressure penalty kick in the 86th minute to tie the game at 1-1 at No. 1 Michigan State.

BARAN BANGERS

Second striker Ashley Baran scored her first collegiate hat trick against Nebraska to help the Scarlet Knights erase a 2–1 deficit and claim a 3–2 victory to remain undefeated in the Big Ten. It was Rutgers’ first hat trick in Big Ten play since joining the conference in 2014. Baran, who entered the game in 2024 with one goal, left the field with four. She opened the scoring in the fifth minute, and after Nebraska tied the sixth and took the lead in the 10th, she collected her brace in the 51st and the hat trick in the 54th on the game winner.

“It was a must-win game,” Baran said. “After two draws and two early in this match, we remembered that at half-time because we knew we could be the better team. After that, the game was ours.”

Baran scored the Golden Goal in the overtime victory over No. 16 Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

YOUNG MINUTES

Rutgers has had three true freshmen in the starting lineups this season Shaela Bradley, back Claire Hammilland midfielder Mikayla Mandleur. The following freshmen or redshirt freshmen also have minutes through the 2024 season: Gabriela Gil, Reilly McGlinn, Riley Morris, Gabby MolenaarAnd Brianna Azevedo.

BODMER’S BOX

Redshirt sophomore goalie Olivia Bodmer has contributed to the defensive unit, leading to 0.72 goals allowed per game. Bodmer ranks fifth in the Big Ten with her seven solo shutouts. Her 0.72 goals-against average ranks 35th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten.

“We play as a team and we defend as a team,” Bodmer said. “All 31 of us do what we can to help this team. We call each other sisters, and it helps to have them in front of me. I can’t thank them enough; they are the best backline I could ask for.” They inspire confidence not only in me, but in the entire team.”

Bodmer claimed Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors after a 1-0 shutout at Michigan and a 1-1 draw at No. 1 Michigan State, marking Rutgers’ first Goalkeeper of the Week conference honor since Meagan McClelland in 2021.

IMPACT TRANSFER

Transfers Sydney Urban (Maryland) and Patricia Tsokos (Arkansas) have made their presence known in their first seasons in Scarlet. Graduate transfer Urban has started in all 18 matches in midfield and has more than contributed to the 0.72 goals-against average. Sophomore Tsokos has 16 starts in 18 appearances and can also shift well between defensive and midfield positions, giving him one of the best defensive attributes in the country.

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-RU-