Rutgers and Penn State Women’s Soccer Tied for First in Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll
Official press release from the Big Ten and Rutgers Athletics
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Rutgers women’s soccer has been voted to repeat as Big Ten Conference champions, coming in a first-place tie with Penn State in the 2022 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll released on Monday. The poll marks the first time in Rutgers Athletics history a Scarlet Knight team has been picked No. 1, and it also marks the first time in conference history the women’s soccer preseason poll resulted in a tie for the top spot.
We have been picked in a first-place tie in the #B1GWSOC preseason poll - the first @RUAthletics team to be picked No. 1 in a @bigten vote.
— RUTGERS WOMEN’S SOCCER (@RUWSoccer) August 15, 2022
Sara Brocious, Meagan McClelland, & Riley Tiernan are #B1GWSOC Players to Watch.
📰 https://t.co/EPZCIKwIh6#WeNeverStop /// #GoRU! pic.twitter.com/dscFRyxjor
Meagan McClelland, junior midfielder Sara Brocious, and sophomore forward Riley Tiernan. McClelland earned All-Big Ten Third Team and All-Region Third Team honors in 2021 after protecting the net on the run to the NCAA Women’s College Cup. In the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight match against TCU, she made eight saves before saving three consecutive penalties and scoring one of her own in the victorious shootout. In another shootout in the next round against Arkansas, McClelland saved a PK and scored another to punch the Scarlet Knights’ ticket to the Final Four. The goalkeeper recorded 13 shutouts and 83 saves on the year, including five clean sheets against league opponents in the run to the conference title. She maintained a 0.67 GAA in net, helping RU extend its streak to eight straight seasons registering a GAA of 0.77 or less. Brocious started in all 25 matches during the 2021 College Cup season, ranking fifth on the squad with 14 points on four goals and six assists while playing 1,976 minutes, coming in second among field players on the team last fall. Finding a knack for clutch situations, Brocious provided an assist in the 2-2 overtime win over Arkansas in the NCAA quarterfinals, and scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Wisconsin that clinched the Big Ten title.
The Scarlet Knights are coming off the first Big Ten title in program and school history in 2021 after going a perfect 10-0 during the regular season. Three returners from that squad have been honored as 2022 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Players to Watch: Graduate student goalkeeperTiernan was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the ECAC Rookie of the Year, and a United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team selection following a breakout first year “On the Banks” featuring 29 points on eight goals and a team-best 13 assists, which marked a new program record for a single season. The Voorhees, New Jersey native also garnered All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors while sparking an offense that outscored opponents 64-17 on the year, which ended in the program’s second College Cup appearance in seven years.
Sara Brocious, Jr., M, RutgersMeagan McClelland, Grad., GK, RutgersRiley Tiernan, So., F, Rutgers Emma Jaskaniec, Sr., M, Wisconsin Aidan McConnell, So., D, Wisconsin Natalie Viggiano, Grad., M, Wisconsin
Tiernan started in all 25 matches during the College Cup season, including all 10 regular season conference games that led to a perfect 10-0 record and the school’s first-ever Big Ten title. She passed out five assists in Big Ten matches, which was tied for first in the conference in 2021. Rutgers returns nine starters and 17 letterwinners from the 2021 College Cup squad. Led by a program-high nine All-Big Ten selections, the team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game for the third time since joining the league. In its 10th straight NCAA Tournament and first as a No. 1 seed, the team advanced to the College Cup for the second time and first time since 2015. Overall, a plethora of new program records were set by the squad, including total wins, goals, assists, points, winning streak, and more. 2022 BIG TEN WOMEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL 1. (tie) Rutgers (tie) Penn State 3. Michigan 4. Wisconsin 5. Ohio State 6. Michigan State 7. Purdue 8. Iowa 9. Minnesota 10. Indiana 11. Northwestern 12. Nebraska 13. Maryland 14. Illinois 2022 BIG TEN WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST Ashley Cathro, R-Sr., D, Illinois Eileen Murphy, Sr., D, Illinois Kendra Pasquale, R-Sr., M, Illinois Jamie Gerstenberg, So., GK, Indiana Jordyn Levy, So., F, Indiana Arianna Rose, Fr., D, Indiana Samantha Cary, Sr., D, Iowa Kenzie Roling, So., F, Iowa Hailey Rydberg, Grad., M, Iowa Malikae Dayes, Grad., F, Maryland Mikayla Dayes, Grad., F, Maryland Juliana Lynch, Jr., M, Maryland Hannah Blake, Sr., M, Michigan Lily Farkas, Sr., M, Michigan Avery Kalitta, So., M, Michigan Ruby Diodati, Grad., D, Michigan State Lauren Kozal, R-Sr., GK, Michigan State Samantha White, Grad., D, Michigan State Sophia Boman, Jr., M, Minnesota Izzy Brown, Sr., F, Minnesota Megan Platschko, Sr., GK, Minnesota Eleanor Dale, Jr., F, Nebraska Reagan Raabe, Jr., M, Nebraska Sarah Weber, So., F, Nebraska Josie Aulicino, Jr., M, Northwestern Meg Boade, Jr., F, Northwestern Aurea del Carmen, Sr., M, Northwestern Talani Barnett, Grad., D, Ohio State Kayla Fischer, Grad., F, Ohio State Sydney Jones, So., D, Ohio State Penelope Hocking, Grad., F, Penn State Payton Linnehan, Sr., F, Penn State Ally Schlegel, R-Sr., F, Penn State Sydney Duarte, Grad., M, Purdue Gracie Dunaway, So., F, Purdue Emily Mathews, Jr., M, Purdue