Sam Kroger scored two early goals at 1:45 and again at 2:56 of the match to stake the Scarlet Knights to a quick 2-0 lead as Rutgers came out quickly against Princeton before a crowd of 943 at Yurcak Field.
The Scarlet Knights expected a struggle against their intrastate rival, Princeton, especially since they were looking to avenge last season’s loss to the Tigers, who handed them their first defeat of the 2021 campaign. The Tigers rolled in with the intentions of repeating the insult in 2022, as they looked to knock the No. 9 Scarlet Knights out of the ranks of the undefeated.
It was clear from the outset that the Tigers were in the mindset to rough up Rutgers star forward Riley Tiernan, who was repeatedly the subject of physicality as soon as the ball came to her. But while the strategy to shadow Tiernan for the entirety of the game worked to keep the sophomore forward off the scoresheet, it allowed other Rutgers players to find a multitude of scoring chances. In total, eight different Scarlet Knights recorded shots in the game.
Kroger’s early goals were her third and fourth of the season, and she is now tied for the team lead in scoring with forward Allison Lowrey, who picked up her fourth goal of the year at 82:43 to make the score 3-0. Lowrey’s goal came off a tremendous feed by junior Sara Brocious, and ended up being the final tally of the game.
The Scarlet Knights controlled the game from start to finish, as the two quick goals by Kroger off assists by Kylie Daigle and Becci Fluchel put RU in the driver’s seat. From there, a smothering defense and perfect goaltending from Meagan McClelland helped the Knights’ goalkeeper earn the thirty-eighth clean sheet of her stellar career.
McClelland recorded five saves off the 12 shots taken by Princeton, as the Rutgers defense led by senior Allison Lynch and sophomore Kassidy Banks repeatedly frustrated the Tigers’ offensive attack and forced turnovers to give the ball back to the Scarlet Knights’ offense. Rutgers recorded 16 shots in the match, continually peppering Princeton’s goalkeeper, Tyler McCamey, with good scoring chances.
Given an early lead, head coach Mike O’Neill had his team play a defense-first game, as the Knights dropped back and cut off passing lanes to limit quality chances for the Princeton offense. When opportunities arose, Rutgers’ last line of defense, McClelland, was equal to the task. Like an on-field coach, McClelland continually directed her teammates with defensive instructions during the match, warning of hazards before they developed.
The Scarlet Knights have now moved to 6-0 on the year and will have a chance to make program history by starting 7-0 on the season if they can win their next match. That opportunity will come on Thursday night, Sept. 8 against LaSalle. But, it will not be easy, as the Explorers are 5-1 on the season. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Yurcak Field.
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