The 2024 soccer season is upon us, and head coach Mike O’Neill is preparing to bring the Rutgers Women’s Soccer Team back to make a run at their thirteenth consecutive appearance in the NCAA post season. The Knights’ ousting from both the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAAs was unquestionably due to a lack of offensive production, as they scored no goals against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament (save for one tally in the penalty kick round) and just one goal in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Last season O’Neill’s squad took a step back, yet still managed to finish with an overall record of 9-7-4 as they were eliminated by Columbia in the first round of postseason action.
The Scarlet Knights return thirteen veteran players, that include seasoned juniors and seniors, as well as rising sophomore stars.
Goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer posted a 0.811 save percentage last season as she led the Scarlet Knights to a postseason appearance in her first full year in goal. While she saw the lion’s portion of the time last year, she may share the duties this season with two new additions to the Scarlet Knights’ roster.
The offense is led by dynamic senior forward Riley Tiernan, who should see a bounce-back year in scoring as opponents will need to concern themselves with the Scarlet Knights’ other weapons in the offensive zone.
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Forward Gia Girman emerged last season as a bona fide offensive threat until a late season ankle injury sidelined the talented senior. With a non-stop motor, Girman is a two-way player who can turn the Knights from defense to offense quickly.
Talented forward Ashley Baran will be on every opponents’ radar this season, and she may well be drawing double coverage in the offensive zone. With a shots-on-goal percentage of 54.5 percent last season, Baran’s known accuracy and presence on the pitch should draw attention away from Tiernan and Girman, opening up space for those players to operate.
Midfielder Kylie Daigle is the very definition of “reliable,” having appeared in 18 matches last season. With a shots-on-goal percentage of 44.4 percent last year, fans may see her take a more offensive role this season.
Forward Olivia Russomanno played in every game last season, and while not productive offensively in goals scored, she did collect two assists and provided a steady presence on the field in relief of starters.
Defender Emily Mason has garnered multiple awards and honors over the course of her Rutgers career, and is a much-needed returning starter on defense. Mason’s defensive talent is one of the reasons that RU was able to chalk up 10 shutouts last season.
Defender Kassidy Banks enters her fourth year with the Scarlet Knights, with 62 games played over her previous three seasons. Banks is a fixture on the pitch, averaging 82 minutes per game last season, and played the full 90 minutes in the final eight games of the 2023 season.
Another steady performer is midfielder Allie Post, who saw action in 18 matches for the Scarlet Knights in 2023. With a young squad of raw talent on Rutgers this season, look for the junior to post career marks in time on the pitch.
Back Ava Brass is just a sophomore, and saw limited action in her freshman season for the Knights. But, the graduation of last year’s team veterans will undoubtedly provide more opportunities in 2024 for the Pennington, New Jersey native.
Elliot Forney is a returning forward who also saw limited action in 2023, seeing the pitch in just one contest against Iowa. The Downingtown, Penn. product will be utilized more in the 2024 campaign as O’Neill will need to season his young players for the grueling schedule this year.
Also returning is sophomore midfielder Tehya Scheuten, who did not see game action in her freshman season. However, it would be a safe bet that she will see the pitch this year. Scheuten is a former All-State player out of Mount Olive, where she became her high school’s all-time leading scorer in just three seasons of action.
Expect sophomore back Shannon Reiser to get her first playing time this season. Like Scheuten, Reiser was the all-time leading scorer at her Matawan, New Jersey high school, where she was an All-State selection.
The Scarlet Knights lost a ton of talent to graduation, but O’Neill has sought to re-stock the roster with promising players via the transfer portal.
New Jersey native Rachel Quigley is a graduate student goalkeeper, most recently at Virginia Wesleyan, where she was a Division III All-American. With 23 games played, she collected 10 shutouts with a 0.862 save percentage.
Midfielder Sydney Urban may be a name that RU fans are familiar with, as the graduate student comes over from the University of Maryland. She appeared in 15 games in 2023, playing 766 minutes in her final season with the Terps.
Goalkeeper Arden Lembryk is a grad student from Wayne, New Jersey who most recently saw action with Mount St. Mary’s University. During the 2023 season, she had three starts, and saw game time in three others.
Look for sophomore transfer Patricia Tsokos to see time this season filling a much-needed midfielder role for the Scarlet Knights. In her eight games with the Arkansas Razorbacks, she tallied one goal in her limited 118 minutes of play.
Joining the established Knights will be nine first-year recruits that include several players who were true standouts in high school. Midfielder Shaela Bradley was a prolific goal-scorer in her high school career, while midfielder Gianna Delgado was a three-sport athlete during her time at her Clifton, New Jersey high school.
Central Jersey product Charlotte Garcia, currently slated as a forward for the Knights this season, scored 46 goals during high school. Back Claire Hammill was a three-time ECNL Midwest All-Conference player in her high school career, earning an invitation to the U.S. Youth National Team regional camp. O’Neill may give Hammill playing time to the Plymouth, Michigan native in late September, when the Scarlet Knights travel to her home state to face both the Wolverines and the Spartans.
Former ECNL All Conference player Mikayla Mandleur may see action as a back this season, while midfielder Gabby Miller was a three-time All-State performer.
Pennsylvania native Riley Morris is a former All-Regional player who is currently slated to play defense, while back Madelyn O’Neill was a four-year varsity player during her time in New Egypt, New Jersey. She is the daughter of the Scarlet Knights’ head coach, but brings along a long resumé of personal success in her own right, including being a member of the ECNL National Championship team.
Rutgers opens their 2024 season on the road, taking on nearby NJIT on Thursday, August 15, at 6:00 p.m. Their home opener will follow just three days later as they host Wake Forest in a 1:00 p.m. start on Sunday August 18 at Yurcak Field in Piscataway.
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