In her first game back after serving a three-game suspension, Gia Girman fired the ball past Badgers goalkeeper Drew Stover at 78:58 to give RU a one-goal lead that would stand up as the game winner, as Rutgers took their Big Ten Conference opener by the score of 1-0.
Playing before a crowd of 304 spectators, the Scarlet Knights opened their Big 10 Conference slate against Wisconsin on Thursday night. After going 4-1-1 in non-conference play, the Scarlet Knights looked to continue that success as they squared off against the Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin.
JOIN TODAY AND GET 30 DAYS FREE! | THE ROUND TABLE FORUM | RUTGERS FOOTBALL 2025 RECRUITING CLASS | RUTGERS HOOPS RECRUITING
Key for the Knights would be finding a way to stop sensational graduate student Aryssa Mahrt, who came into the contest with six goals and one assist, and who accounted for nearly 50 percent of the shots on goal (19 of 40) that the Badgers had amassed this season.
The Badgers thoroughly controlled the first half of play, so much so that it wasn't until 10 minutes of the first half had elapsed before Rutgers could reach the Wisconsin 18 with any sort of offensive penetration.
The pitch seemed tilted for the first 45 minutes of the match as Wisconsin thoroughly dominated offensive possession as the Scarlet Knights struggled to get the ball out of their own end. This domination was reflected in the first half stats, as Wisconsin had six shots through the 1st 45 minutes of play with Rutgers having only three.
But in the second half, Rutgers took control during the first 20 minutes, getting chances in the Wisconsin zone. From there, the game got increasingly physical as both teams, battling in the scoreless deadlock, looked to break through with the initial goal.
The game seemed destined to end in a 0-0 tie until passes by Gabriela Gil and Shaela Bradley sprung Girman breaking in on the Wisconsin goal, where she fired it past Stover for the game’s only score with just 11:02 remaining.
From there, the Knights were content to play keep away, limiting the Badgers chances and helping goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer earn another clean sheet shutout victory in the match.
The 5-1-1 Scarlet Knights will now have a week to prepare for their next Big Ten opponent, the Oregon Ducks. The match will take place on September 19 at Yurcak Field in Piscataway and will be carried on the BTN+.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
