Emily Mason took a pass from Riley Tiernan after a corner kick, scoring the lone goal of the match at 84:35 as Rutgers was able to pull out a victory by the narrowest of margins over NJIT, 1-0, in their season opener Thursday night.
The Scarlet Knights’ offense started slowly against in-state foe NJIT, being held scoreless in the first half against the Highlanders.
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Rutgers appeared to break on top in the first half when midfielder Allie Post broke in on the Highlanders’ net and let loose a shot that found the back of the goal, apparently giving the Knights the lead. However, an offsides call negated the score, and the game remained level at 0-0.
Head coach Mike O’Neill relied heavily on his dependable starters, with Mason, Kassidy Banks and Audrey Cain playing every minute of the first half.
Despite RU out-shooting NJIT 7 to 4, the Highlanders were able to keep the Scarlet Knights in check behind a strong defense and the goalkeeping of Mojisola Ayodele.
A scary moment occurred in the early part of the second half as Tiernan, hustling to make a play in the offensive zone, collided heavily with junior Briana Andreoli, which resulted in the NJIT forward getting taken off the field. She did not return until there were just over 14 minutes left in the match.
The game was dominated by end-to-end action, with tight defense and physical play as both squads desperately attempted to break the scoreless deadlock as the second-half clock ticked down.
Post once again had another chance to break the tie at 68:29, but the shot buzzed wide left off a deflection.
NJIT dodged another bullet off the leg of Tiernan, as she inadvertently fired a point-blank shot into the legs of Post, thwarting the scoring chance.
After numerous opportunities in the NJIT end of the pitch, Mason was finally able to break the tie with her late goal with just minutes remaining in the contest.
But the gritty Highlander team did not quit, and came storming back with an offensive effort of their own that necessitated a diving save from RU goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer, who stopped an excellent shot by NJIT’s Caroline Caputo.
It was the first-ever matchup between the two schools, and one that Rutgers is not likely to forget. But, the Scarlet Knights will not have long to savor the victory, as they are back in action on Sunday, August 18 against Wake Forest. The game will be the home opener at Yurcak Field, and kicks off at 1:00 p.m. The match will be carried on the Big Ten Plus network.
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