Rutgers men's soccer rues missed chances in tie with No. 25 Michigan
The Rutgers men’s soccer team faced off against Michigan at a rainy Yurcak Field on Busch campus Saturday afternoon. The Scarlet Knights (3-5-2, 0-2-1) and the Wolverines (5-0-4, 1-0-3) traded early goals, but neither squad could muster much more offensively as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Rutgers put the pressure on No. 25 Michigan early with junior forward Ian Abbey blasting one from the penalty area on a breakaway, but Wolverine goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson stood tall and made the big-time save to keep the game scoreless.
The Knights' defense kept Michigan without a shot for the first 13 minutes of the half, but the first shot would be a big one for the Wolverines. A beautiful crossing pass set up Oliver Martin for a sliding finish inside the box to give Michigan a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the game.
Rutgers did not let that lead stand for long. About 1 minute later, junior midfielder Nestor Cabrera netted his 1st career goal, a kick from just outside the penalty box, sending the crowd into a frenzy and tying the game at 1-1.
The Knights continued to exert pressure offensively, with chances from junior midfielder Cole Cruthers and Abbey, who were both unable to find the back of the net.
With the score tied 1-1 at halftime, Rutgers had a strong first half on both sides. Offensively, the Knights seemed to control the ball well while on attack and fired 16 shots with six on goal. Despite letting up an early goal, the Rutgers defense settled in and held the Wolverines to just four shots and one on goal.
Michigan opened the second half with an aggressive attack. In the 52nd minute, Joao Paulo Ramos sent a shot to the net, but junior goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton’s leaping save was just enough to direct the shot over the net and keep things knotted at one.
As the second half progressed, neither team could get much going offensively, with the Wolverines recording just two shots on goal and the Knights tallying no shots on goal through the first 25 minutes of the second half.
Late in the second half, it seemed as though Rutgers would get its chance to win the game via a penalty kick, but after video review, the foul was taken off the board, as was a prime scoring chance.
Despite playing a solid first half, the Knights' offense had different fortunes in the second half. As a team, Rutgers tallied no shots on target and only attempted three shots in the final 45 minutes of play. The Knights' defense was strong throughout the game and bounced back well after giving up an early goal.
Rutgers is still looking for its first Big Ten victory of the season and will next go on the road to play Wisconsin on Friday night. The game will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
“We played really well today, and tried to play soccer the right way,” said head coach Jim McElderry. “If you ask every player on our team, they’re really disappointed that we didn’t win, we had enough chances in the first half … We’re unlucky to not be winning at halftime. I think Michigan will be happy walking out of here with a tie and moving on for the rest of their season.”
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