Rutgers women's soccer set to face Big Ten newcomer Oregon in 2nd conference game of season

After a week break, the Rutgers women's soccer team will face off against Oregon on Thursday in its second Big Ten contest of the year.

Last Thursday, the Scarlet Knights (5-1-1, 1-0) secured a late victory from senior forward Gia Girman, who was coming off of her suspension, to give them a 1-0 victory on the road in Wisconsin. The win was crucial to kick off Rutgers' conference schedule and continue its four-game unbeaten run.

The entire front line for the Knights has been on a tear. Senior forward Riley Tiernan has stood out with 2 goals and five assists. Junior midfielder Allie Post has also been vital during Girman's absence, scoring 3 goals and two assists.

Rutgers has scored 11 goals so far this season, only conceding 2. In its last four games, it has kept a clean sheet, which is largely due to the senior backline duo of Emily Mason and Kassidy Banks. Before the new season began, the pair of defenders, along with Tiernan, were recognized on the Big Ten Players to Watch list and have been key to the Knights' success.

Sophomore midfielder Patricia Tsokos, a transfer from Arizona, has performed well at right-back, and freshman defender Claire Hammill has emerged as the team's starting left-back.

To give them even more reinforcement, Rutgers roster's redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer. She has made 18 saves this entire season with a 90 percent save rate, making her one of the best keepers in the conference.

The Ducks (4-4-0, 0-0) are coming off a very poor season. Last year, they finished 0-16-3 with zero conference victories. They only managed to score 9 goals and conceded 48 to opponents. This year, though, the team has seen a complete change under fifth-year head coach Graeme Abel.

Oregon added an abundance of new players in the offseason and the results have had positive effects. So far, it has managed to keep a .500 record even after a tough loss last game in a close 2-1 match with UCLA. The Ducks have relied heavily on goal-scoring from Cameron Bourne and creativity in the midfield from Grace Mensah — two players the Knights should look out for.

Rutgers and Oregon are yet to play each other in the Big Ten because the Ducks are one of the new teams to enter the Big Ten Conference. The Knights are hoping to extend their winning streak to five games and make it two-for-two in conference play, while Oregon is ready to start their Big Ten campaign on a strong foot.

The game will kick off at 7 p.m. at Yurcak Field on Busch campus and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and 88.7 WRSU-FM.