Men's Soccer Pulls Off Historic Upset Over No. 11 UCLA

Friday, September 11

Piscataway, N.J.

7 PM

Rutgers

2-3-1, 1-0-0

UCLA

3-1-2, 0-1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
UCLA	1	0	1
Rutgers	1	2	3

Photo by: Cos Lymperopoulos

Men's Soccer Pulls Off Historic Upset Over No. 11 UCLA

Sep 11 | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers men's soccer (2-3-1, 1-0 B1G) pulled off a historic upset Friday night, defeating No. 11 UCLA (3-1-2, 0-1 B1G), 3-1, at Yurcak Field.

The Bruins struck first in the fourth minute, but the Scarlet Knights quickly answered. Nick Collins found the equalizer in the 14th minute, heading a play into the box past the UCLA goalkeeper to send the teams into halftime tied, 1-1.

14' | THE EQUALIZER ‼️

📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/tS0rf23f1t #GoRU | #RUMS pic.twitter.com/dJGsPCtfAm
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) September 11, 2026

Rutgers took the lead just four minutes into the second half when Erick Ruiz found the back of the net in the 49th minute for his second career goal. Amer Lukovic and Pius Ssebulime were credited with assists on the game-winning tally.

49' | 🚨 GOOOOOAL 🚨

Erick Ruiz puts Rutgers ahead, 2-1!

📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/tS0rf23f1t #GoRU | #RUMS pic.twitter.com/bI7UFG2ERb
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) September 12, 2026

With the Bruins pressing for an equalizer late, Rutgers sealed the victory in the 88th minute when William Pierce scored his first goal as a Scarlet Knight. Simon Gorczowski and Francesco Di Ponzio earned assists on the insurance tally.

88' | WILLIAM PIERCE 🤩

Rutgers pulls ahead, 3-1!

📺 B1G+
📊 https://t.co/tS0rf23f1t #GoRU | #RUMS pic.twitter.com/bJP5l6eAVl
— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) September 12, 2026

Goals

4' (UCLA) Zachary Neuls – Adrian Aguilar
14' (RU) Nick Collins – Hector Criado & Devon Stopek
49' (RU) Erick Ruiz – Amer Lukovic & Pius Ssebulime
88' (RU) William Pierce – Simon Gorczowski & Francesco Di Ponzio

Knight Notes

The win marks Rutgers' first victory over UCLA since Oct. 14, 1990, and just the second in program history.
Rutgers is undefeated against team ranked No. 11 in the national poll under head coach Jim McElderry. The Scarlet Knights defeated No. 11 Indiana in 2021 and tied No. 11 Ohio State in 2022 and No. 11 Michigan in 2025.
The 3-1 decision marks RU's first win over a ranked team since 2024, when the team earned victories over No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 10 Maryland.
Rutgers handed UCLA its first loss of the 2026 fall.
Collins and Andrew Kitch pace the Scarlet Knights with two goals apiece this season.
Pierce's goal marked the 15th of his collegiate career and his first as a Scarlet Knight.
Eight different Scarlet Knights have now recorded an assist on the team's eight goals this season. Criado, Ssebulime, Gorczowski and Di Ponzio each recorded their first points of the campaign against UCLA with helpers.
Lukovic leads Rutgers with three assists this season after adding another helper on Ruiz's game-winning goal.
The teams finished even in shots, 7-7, but Rutgers held a 5-1 advantage in shots on goal. The Scarlet Knights continue to lead their opponents in shots this season, 68-48.
17 Scarlet Knights saw action against the Bruins.
Collins, Rafael Ponce de Leon, Zach Mastrodimos and Pius Ssebulime played all 90 minutes of the Big Ten opener.

Looking Ahead

Rutgers will have a quick turnaround as the team welcomes No. 16 Princeton to Yurcak Field on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

Follow Along

Follow Rutgers men's soccer on X and Instagram (@RUMensSoccer) for all the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RutgersMensSoccer.