Needing a win, the Scarlet Knights traveled to Nebraska to face the powerhouse offense of the Cornhuskers, and while they didn’t get the victory, they may well have found the offensive spark that they have been missing for much of the season.

From the outset, the match looked more like a track meet, as the pace that both sides kept while going up and down the pitch was exhaustive for players and fans alike.

Getting a rare start for Rutgers, the non-stop motor of junior Gia Girman was instrumental in RU getting the first score of the game. Outworking Nebraska defenders Haley Peterson, Ella Guyott and Sarah Webber in the right corner, Girman found senior Sara Brocious with a crisp pass deep in the offensive zone. Brocious took a few strides to the center of the field and launched a bending rocket off her left foot that tucked just inside the far post to give RU an early 1-0 lead just 4:20 into the match.

But, the lead would be short-lived.

Two minutes after the Scarlet Knights took the lead, Brocious was called for a foul in the Rutgers end, which gave the Cornhuskers a free kick just outside the box. Lining up the opportunity, the nation’s leading goal scorer, Eleanor Dale, laced a shot on net that RU goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer was able to get both hands on, but the momentum of the shot carried the ball through her and landed in the back of the net to draw the game level at 1-1 at 6:32. For Dale, the senior forward from Billingham, England, it was her fourteenth goal of the season.

However, it would not stay tied for long.

The Scarlet Knights seemed unfazed by the Nebraska goal, as the RU offense was in high gear. Again attacking down the right side of the pitch, Allison Lowrey hustled to save the ball from going over the end line, and offered a serving pass towards the front of the net where it found a waiting Sam Kroeger.

Kroeger then directed it on net with a bouncing shot that skipped past Nebraska goalkeeper Samantha Hauk to give Rutgers their second lead of the contest, 2-1, at 22:35.

Once again, however, the game would be tied when Dale scored her second goal of the contest on a shot that beat a diving Bodmer on her left side at 42:05. At the end of 45 high-octane minutes, the match was tied 2-2 at halftime before a delighted crowd of 1,116 spectators at Barbara Hibner Field.

Both sides made adjustments during the break, and while the scoring slowed, the crisp passing and opportunities did not.

Nebraska kept up constant pressure in the Rutgers zone, winning the race to the ball, creating turnovers, and forcing Bodmer to make nine stops in the match, many of them acrobatic saves to keep the game tied.

Still missing team captains Emma Misal and Becci Fluchel, the RU defense was clearly gassed in the second half, as Nebraska controlled the majority of play. Fortunately for the Scarlet Knights, the non-stop motor of Girman seemed to place her everywhere on the pitch, disrupting the Cornhuskers’ attack while creating chances for RU in the offensive zone.

In the end, it was Rutgers holding on against the offensive onslaught of the Cornhuskers, escaping the game with a 2-2 draw. The Nebraska attack made it seem that the pitch was slanted towards the Rutgers goal, as evidenced by the fact that in the contest the Huskers amassed 30 shots and earned 11 corner kicks. By comparison, RU had just 13 shots, and collected one corner kick that came late in the contest.

Besides Bodmer, unquestionably the standout in the match for Rutgers was Girman, who may well have earned herself much more playing time, if not a starting role going forward.

The RU tour of the Midwest will continue on Sunday, Oct. 1 as the 5-4-3 Knights travel to Iowa City to take on the 7-1-3 Hawkeyes. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be carried on the Big Ten Network.