Allison Lynch fired a shot that deflected off a LaSalle player for a rare “own goal” tally to give Rutgers a 2-1 lead, which eventually stood up as the game winner as the Scarlet Knights remained perfect in the 2022 campaign.
The sixth-ranked team in the nation has set yet another program milestone, having won seven games out of the starting gate at the beginning of the season. In their 12 previous meetings against LaSalle, the Scarlet Knights had never lost (10-0-2), and this time proved no exception.
But the Explorers didn’t make it easy.
LaSalle pressured Rutgers in the opening 10 minutes of play, bringing the ball in deep against the RU defense and matching the Scarlet Knights stride for stride in the early going. Pressure from LaSalle forced the Knights to press hard defensively, and when Becci Fluchel was called for a foul earlyin the first half, the Explorers were awarded a penalty kick.
Facing off against Rutgers’ goalkeeper Meagan McClelland, junior Alyssa Gargiulo fired the penalty shot into the net to give the Explorers the early 1-0 lead at 7:43. It was the first goal to be registered on the brand-new video scoreboard installed at Yurcak Field, but it would not be the last.
The game seemed to be settling into a repeat of the Buffalo match as the Scarlet Knights appeared to be looking for the perfect goal, often making one pass too many as they eschewed scoring chances. The Thursday night crowd of 753 grew restless as the game continued, until Allison Lowrey broke the drought for the Scarlet Knights at 16:08 off a feed from Fluchel. For the junior from Bridgewater, N.J., it was her team-leading fifth goal of the young season, and allowed Fluchel to atone for her earlier miscue that brought about the Explorer’s penalty kick.
Tied 1-1, the Scarlet Knights, dressed in their white uniforms, came to life and began to take the attack to La Salle. With the game knotted up, the offensive pressure by RU led to Lynch’s go-ahead goal that ricocheted off a LaSalle defender at 18:17. The half ended with the Knights holding a 2-1 lead.
But the Knights are dangerous because so many players on their roster can score. While opposing teams have been frustrating sophomore forward Riley Tiernan thus far this season with focused defensive attention, the Scarlet Knights have been turning to other offensive weapons to fill the void.
The Knights registered 23 shots against the Explorers, and while Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Sam Kroger did not get on the scoring sheet, it would not matter. With La Salle’sattention on Tiernan and Kroger, sophomore Kylie Daigle made full use of her 58 minutes of playing time to fire four shots, oneof which found its way between the post and La Salle’s goalkeeper Michela Auguadro to give the Knights a two-goallead at 47:46. The goal, set up by sharp passing from Tiernan and Sara Brocious, appeared to derail La Salle, as Rutgers closed out the game with a final score of 3-1.
Defensively, the Explorers were held to just six shots in the match as the Scarlet Knights’ defense continues to impress. They will need to keep up their superb defensive play, as this weekend brings one of the season’s biggest non-conference challenges when the LSU Tigers visit Yurcak Field. The Tigers are currently 5-0-2 overall and on a four-game winning streak after defeating Princeton 2-0. The match is set for Sunday, Sept. 11 at noon in Piscataway.
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