Soccer America Ranks Rutgers 20th in Nation
Sep 16 | Men's Soccer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers men's soccer team (3-1-1) was ranked 20th in the country in the latest edition of Soccer America's Weekly Top 25 poll. The Scarlet Knights handed nationally-ranked UC Santa Barbara its first loss of the season, a 3-2 decision on Friday, Sept. 12 at Yurcak Field.
"It's a nice thing for the fans and our team," said head coach Bob Reasso, of the squad's recent ranking. "It's recognition of the team's hard work but at the end of the day we're focused on winning games. We have a really young team and I think they are beginning to see how important every game is, especially as we enter the BIG EAST schedule."
Freshman Gaetano Panuccio (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute as he collected the rebound off a deflected free kick by sophomore Aly Mazhar (Cairo, Egypt). The goal was the first of Panuccio's career.
Entering the contest, the Gauchos were rated sixth in the country by College Soccer News, 10th by Soccer America and 13th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Rutgers battled back from 1-0 and 2-1 second-half deficits to claim its first win over a ranked opponent since defeating then-No. 18 USF on Oct. 20, 2007. Sophomore Dilly Duka (Montville, N.J.) kept the Scarlet Knights in the game as he evened the score each time they fell behind with his team-leading third and fourth goals of the season.
For their efforts against UCSB, Panuccio and Duka received BIG EAST weekly accolades. Panuccio was named the conference's Rookie of the Week, while Duka was added to the honor roll.
RU will return to action this weekend when it opens BIG EAST play on the road. The Scarlet Knights will travel to Pittsburgh on Friday for a 7:00 p.m. tilt, followed by a Sunday match at West Virginia, scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
