Rutgers
Washington
Nov 10 | Men's Soccer
SEATTLE ā Third-seeded No. 15 Rutgers men's soccer will face the second-seededĀ No. 11 Washington in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday night. Ā
Match Details Ā
#3 Rutgers (9-6-2, 6-3-1 Big Ten) vs. #2 WashingtonĀ
9 p.m. ET | Wednesday, Nov. 11Ā
Husky Soccer Stadium | Seattle, Wash.Ā
TV: Big Ten NetworkĀ
Last Time OutĀ Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights defeated No. 25 UCLA (9-4-5), 2-0, on Sunday afternoon in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals at Husky Soccer Stadium. The third-seeded Scarlet Knights scored once in each half to defeat the sixth-seeded Bruins and advance to the conference semifinals.Ā
Joshua Jerome and Matty Lynch each scored their second goals of the season, while Rafael Ponce De Leon made five saves to earn the shutout. Erick Ruiz, Amer Lukovic and Francesco Di Ponzio each recorded an assist in the victory.Ā
UCLA created several early opportunities, but Ponce De Leon kept the Bruins off the scoreboard with saves in the 10th and 13th minutes.Ā
Rutgers broke through in the 33rd minute when Jerome found the back of the net to give the Scarlet Knights a 1-0 advantage. After a long ball into the box was won by Lukovic, he found Ruiz who then perfectly teed up Jerome to fire it home from outside the box, placing it in the bottom-right corner.Ā
Ā
Joshua Jerome with a belter to put us ahead! ššš https://t.co/uuisytboAr
ā Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) November 8, 2026
Rutgers doubled its lead less than three minutes into the second half as Lynch scored in the 48th minute to make it 2-0. Di Ponzio battled to win possession inside UCLA's half and quickly found Lynch up the right side. While holding off a Bruin defender, Lynch calmly tucked it past the keeper to double the RU advantage.Ā
Ā
Matty Lynch tucks it home after the turnover and our lead is 2-0!!! https://t.co/teoD5GCzDa
ā Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) November 8, 2026
UCLA pushed to get on the scoreboard late, but Ponce De Leon made saves in the 82nd and 87th minutes to preserve the shutout and secure Rutgers' spot in the semifinals.Ā
Ranked ReapersĀ
Rutgers has proven it can compete with the nation's best, earning an impressive series of victories over nationally ranked opponents.Ā
The Scarlet Knights opened their run of ranked victories with a stunning 3-1 win over No. 11 UCLA on Sept. 11, highlighted by goals from Nick Collins, Erick Ruiz and William Pierce. Rutgers followed up with a 2-0 victory over No. 11 Princeton at Yurcak Field behind scores from Abubakar Mayanja and Pierce. RU kept the momentum going on the road with a 2-1 win over No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus, completing three consecutive ranked victories in a 10-day span.Ā
The Scarlet Knights delivered their biggest upset of the season, taking down previously unbeaten No. 2 Indiana, 1-0, at Yurcak Field on Oct. 16 behind Francesco Di Ponzio's second-half goal and a strong defensive effort. The victory marked Rutgers' second win over a top-three opponent and its highest-ranked win of the Jim McElderry era.Ā
Rutgers continued its impressive run with a commanding 4-1 victory over No. 8 Michigan State, adding another top-10 win to its resume to punch its ticket for the Big Ten Tournament. Ā
The ReturnersĀ Ā Ā
Rutgers returns 17 student-athletes who saw action during the 2025 season, including seven players who started at least 12 matches.Ā Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights bring back three key pieces of the backline in Collins, Braxton Montgomery and Devon Stopek, all of whom appeared in every match last season.Ā Ā Ā
In addition, Rutgers returns eight of its 10 goal scorers from a year ago, accounting for 17 of the team's goals in 2025.Ā Ā Ā
Welcoming the NewcomersĀ Ā Ā
McElderry and his staff welcomed 11 new faces "On The Banks" during the offseason, including seven transfers and four first-year players.Ā Ā Ā
The transfer class brings veteran talent from across the country, combining for 103 career games of collegiate experience.Ā Ā Ā
Transfers: Rafael Ponce de Leon (Northwestern), Charlie Kitch (Elon), Pius Ssebulime (Gardner-Webb), Zach Mastrodimos (UCLA), William Pierce (Fairfield), Jan Ziewiec (Hofstra) and Abubaker Mayanja (UNC)Ā Ā Ā
First Years: Brian Nascimento, Julian Chapman, Noah Hannawald and Hector CriadoĀ Ā
Follow Rutgers Men's Soccer on Social MediaĀ Ā Ā Ā
