Rutgers women’s soccer picked No. 6 in National Preseason Coaches Poll
After a 2021 season that saw the Rutgers women’s soccer team make the College Cup for the first time since 2015, the Scarlet Knights were picked No. 6 in the National Coaches Preseason Poll as they begin their new season. One year ago, Rutgers was picked No. 25 in the same poll.
The Knights were also ranked as the top program in the Big Ten, coming in three spots ahead of rival Michigan, who Rutgers lost to in last season’s Big Ten championship game. As the Knights are two weeks away from beginning the season at New Mexico, Rutgers looks to carry last season’s success into a new season with some of the same faces.
Although longtime Knights such as Amirah Ali and Gabby Provenzano will not be on this year’s roster, younger stars like sophomore forward Riley Tiernan and sophomore back Emily Mason will be looking to step up in their second year on the Banks.
In her freshman season, Tiernan earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after racking up 8 goals, a team-leading 13 assists and 29 total points. Tiernan also assisted a game-winning goal that came against the Wolverines in October.
In the offseason, Mason played on the U.S. U-20 Women's Youth National Team’s program, winning a gold medal in March at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship. In her freshman stint, Mason started in 18 of 23 games last year.
Along with Tiernan and Mason, Rutgers has several returning upperclassmen who have contributed on both sides of the ball. Offensively, junior midfielders Sara Brocious, Sam Kroeger and Becci Fluchel and junior forward Allison Lowrey combined for 19 goals last season, with all four players combining for 10 game-winning goals.
As the offense looks to stay sharp, the defense will attempt to do the same, with the return of Fluchel in the backfield alongside junior back Emma Misal and senior back Allison Lynch.
The goalkeeping scenario initially was a major question mark as it was expected that graduate student goalkeeper Meagan McClelland would not return. Instead, she opted into her fifth year of eligibility and will return as the Knights’ goalkeeper.
McClelland started in every game last year, in which she recorded 19 wins and 83 saves and allowed only 17 goals all season, an average of 0.69 goals allowed per game.
Head coach Mike O’Neill looks to lead his team once more to the top. A College Cup appearance and record-setting season were historic last year, but a No. 6 preseason ranking could foreshadow what more can come from the program.
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