Forward Gia Girman put a shot past Providence goalkeeper Emma Bodmer at 40:14 to put Rutgers on top 1-0, and as it turned out, it would be the only goal that the Scarlet Knights would need.
Once again, the Rutgers defense contained their opponent’s attack, allowing one early shot on goal, forcing goalkeeper Meagan McClelland to make a save in the fourth minute of the first half. From there, the Scarlet Knights choked out the Friars’ offense on their way to a shutout victory.
The Scarlet Knights got second half contributions from Becci Fluchel at 60:16 and Kylie Daigle on a penalty kick at 75:48 to extend their lead to 3-0, which rounded out the scoring for the contest.
Providence had only six shots for the match, with only one on goal. In contrast, Rutgers managed 12 shots in the game.
It was the third road contest of the season for the Knights, and despite that, they have started the year 3-0 and have risen to the rank of No. 3 in the country.
It may be early in the campaign, but trends already appear to be emerging. Opponents will be spying or double-teaming Riley Tiernan all season long, which means that other teammates are going to need to fill the void. Rutgers’ defense is exceptional, and even when there are the occasional letdowns, the Scarlet Knights have a goalkeeper who is capable of keeping them in every game. For McClelland, the win over Providence was shutout number 37 of her career.
The early surprise this season is Girman, who creates opportunities and gives opponents fits whenever she steps on the pitch. Her improving play will be key in drawing defensive attention towards her, thereby helping to free up Tiernan for scoring opportunities. Until that shift in attention happens, however, the Knights will need to get goals from reliable sources.
Fluchel’s goal was her first of the season and served as the insurance tally for the contest. She showed flashes of brilliance last season, but Fluchel will be key to the Rutgers offense, and their success, this year. While Daigle’s goal was on a penalty kick, she and midfielder Sara Brocious will need to round out the stable of dependable Scarlet Knight scorers this season.
The Scarlet Knights will finally head to Piscataway for their home opener against the Buffalo Bisons on Sunday, August 28. The Bisons are 2-0 this season, having defeated both Binghamton and Niagra by identical 4-1 scores.
The Knights’ defense will have their hands full with Buffalo forwards Jasmine Guerber and Arianna Zumpano, both of whom have scored three goals already this season. The Bisons have also gotten goals this season from seniors Leah Wengender and Payton Robertson, while goalkeeper Emily Kelly has been stingy in net.
Game time against Buffalo on Sunday is 1 p.m. at Yurcak Field.
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