Rutgers
UCLA
Nov 06 | Men's Soccer
SEATTLE ā No. 3 seed and No. 23-ranked Rutgers men's soccer will return to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2023, taking on No. 6 seed UCLA in the quarterfinals on Sunday in Seattle, Washington.Ā
The bracket for the 2026 Big Ten Men's Soccer Tournament is set! ā½ļø More info ā”ļø https://t.co/IoXTWEdNQC https://t.co/8auWB2ZqGq
— Big Ten Soccer (@B1GSoccer) November 5, 2026
Match Details Ā
#3 Rutgers (8-6-2, 6-3-1 Big Ten) vs. #6 UCLA (9-3-5, 4-3-3 B1G)Ā
3 p.m. ET | Sunday, Nov. 8Ā
Husky Soccer Stadium | Seattle, Wash.Ā
TV: B1G+ Ā
Last Time OutĀ Ā Ā
The Scarlet Knights closed out the regular season in impressive fashion, earning a 4-1 victory at No. 8 Michigan State on Friday, Oct. 30Ā to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.Ā Ā
RU 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
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 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
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 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
Anotha one for Lukovic š šŗ B1G+ & YouTube š https://t.co/vV365FJ5X0 #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/mu20e3iNvA
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) October 31, 2026
Goalkeeper of the Week x2Ā
Rutgers senior goalkeeper Rafael Ponce de Leon was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon.Ā Ā
š§¤ FIVE SAVES. ONE PENALTY STOP. ANOTHER BIG-TIME HONOR. Rafa Ponce de Leon is your Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week! š„ š°: https://t.co/sNDz9ZJDoh #GoRU | #RUMS https://t.co/1pcx2j8ZOI
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) November 3, 2026
Ponce de Leon earned the honor following a five-save performance in Rutgers' 4-1 road victory over No. 8 Michigan State on Oct. 30. The senior played all 90 minutes, making five saves.Ā Ā
Ponce de Leon's biggest moment came in the 87th minute, when he denied a penalty kick to preserve Rutgers' three-goal advantage and help secure the statement victory. Ā Ā
The weekly honor marks the second for Ponce de Leon this season "On The Banks," and the sixth for the Scarlet Knights this fall.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. 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
