Rutgers
8-6-2, 6-3-1
Michigan State
10-3-3, 5-2-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Michigan St. | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Oct 30 | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. ā Rutgers men's soccer (8-6-2, 6-3-1) closed out the regular season in impressive fashion, earning a 4-1 victory at No. 8 Michigan State (10-3-3, 5-2-2 B1G)Ā on Friday night to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.Ā
The Scarlet Knights got off to a strong start, taking the lead in the 18th minute. Dan Karsten played a cross into the center of the box, where Amer Lukovic settled the pass and fired a strike past the Spartan goalkeeper to put Rutgers ahead, 1-0.Ā
Scarlet Knights out in front š šŗ B1G+ & YouTube š https://t.co/vV365FJ5X0 #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/rmhWBy6XjG
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 30, 2026
Rutgers added to its advantage late in the first half as Zach Mastrodimos found the back of the net for the second consecutive game. Mastrodimos unleashed a low-driven strikeĀ to give the Scarlet Knights a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.Ā
DIMOS š¤© RU stays ahead, 2-0! šŗ B1G+ & YouTube š https://t.co/vV365FJ5X0 #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/IXvxTtcllt
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 30, 2026
Michigan State cut the deficit in half shortly after the break, but Rutgers responded in the 60th minute as Erick Ruiz connected on a well-placed header following a corner kick.Ā
Lukovic put the finishing touches on the victory in the 74th minute, finishing from close range with his left foot to complete his brace and extend the Scarlet Knights' lead to 4-1.Ā
GOOOOOOALā¼ļø Erick Ruiz makes it 3-1 šŗ B1G+ & YouTube š https://t.co/vV365FJ5X0 #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/ImJ6w8tvAs
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 31, 2026
GoalsĀ
18' (RU) Amer Lukovic ā Dan Karsten & Francesco Di PonzioĀ
42' (RU) Zach MastrodimosĀ
60' (RU) Erick Ruiz ā Thomas Angelone & William PierceĀ
74' (RU) Amer Lukovic - Francesco Di PonzioĀ
Knight NotesĀ
- Rutgers improved to 5-2 against top-15 ranked opponents this season with the victory over No. 8 Michigan StateĀ
- The Scarlet Knights clinched a berth in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2023, earning their fifth postseason appearance under head coach Jim McElderryĀ
- Amer Lukovic recorded a brace, scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the season to lead the Rutgers attackĀ
- Zach Mastrodimos found the back of the net for the second consecutive game, continuing his strong finish to the regular seasonĀ
- The Scarlet Knights handed the Spartans their third loss of the season and just their second in Big Ten play
- Rutgers finished the regular season with an 8-6-2 overall record and a 6-3-1 mark in Big Ten play, the most conference victories under McElderryĀ
Looking AheadĀ
The Scarlet Knights will await the conference tournament seeding and their next opponent as they prepare for postseason play.Ā
Follow Rutgers Men's Soccer on Social MediaĀ Ā Ā Ā
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Amer Lukovic (5)
Assisted By: Dan Karsten , Francesco Di Ponzio
GOAL by RU Lukovic, Amer Assist by Karsten, Dan and Di Ponzio, Francesco.
17:13
Zach Mastrodimos (3)
GOAL by RU Mastrodimos, Zach.
41:09
Oscar Huerta (4)
Assisted By: Luke Spadafora , Brandon Munson
GOAL by MSU Huerta, Oscar Assist by Spadafora, Luke and Munson, Brandon.
46:16
Erick Ruiz (2)
Assisted By: Thomas Angelone , William Pierce
GOAL by RU Ruiz, Erick Assist by Angelone, Thomas and Pierce, William.
59:14
Amer Lukovic (5)
Assisted By: Francesco Di Ponzio
GOAL by RU Lukovic, Amer Assist by Di Ponzio, Francesco.
73:48
