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Top 10 Best Rutgers Sports Moments of the Year

By Michael Cohen
Ola Maeland celebrates his game winning goal agianst Indiana in the Big Ten Title Game, November 13, 2022. Rutgers Athletics.

It was another standout year for Rutgers sports, and we were happy to be along for the ride all year long when it came to Rutgers football and men’s and women’s basketball. Not to mention with the expanse of our Fox Sports on the Road program we got to meet great coaches and players for men’s and women’s soccer this year as well. So let’s look back at some of the best moments in Rutgers sports in 2022.

  • 10: Rutgers Crowds were Amazing in 2022

    Rutgers really enjoyed a big year of fan support all year long. Whether it was basketball, football, or soccer, crowds came out to watch their Scarlet Knights play this year.

    Football enjoyed consecutive sold out crowds in 2022, highlighted by its prime-time game against Nebraska in November. It was a first since 2014.

    Men’s basketball tickets are hard to come by as they have been sold out all season.

    And Men’s and Women’s soccer enjoyed huge crowds this fall during their historic postseason runs.

  • 9: Sebastian Rivera has Career Year for Rutgers Wrestling

    Sebastian Rivera Rutgers

    Sebastian Rivera closes out a brilliant Rutgers career at the NCAA Championships in Detroit. Photo: Rutgers Athletics.

    Sebastian Rivera had a standout campaign his senior year in 2022. The five-time All-American defeated No. 8 seed Grant Willits (Oregon State) by 6-5 decision to become just the second bronze medalist in program history at the NCAA Championships in Detroit back in March. Rivera also finished the season with 14 technical falls, making him the national leader.

  • 8: Rutgers Golf: Leigha Devine is Player of the Year

    One of Rutgers most prolific athletes in 2022 was Leigha Devine who was named Woman’s Player of the Year by the Colorado Golf Association in November.

    According to Rutgers Athletics, “Devine won the CGA Match Play championship and finished as the runner-up in the CGA Stroke Play championship. She also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she became the first-ever Rutgers golfer to advance to the match play portion, where she advanced to the Round of 32. Her t-18 finish in the stroke play portion was also the best-ever finish for a Scarlet Knight.”

  • 7: Rutgers Baseball Deliveres Offensive Explosion

    Rutgers baseball

    Rutgers baseball split a double-header with the Maryland Terrapins, Sunday May, 8, 2022. Photo: Rutgers Athletics.

    It was a standout year for Rutgers baseball. The Scarlet Kngihts were 44-15 in 2022, and were one of the most prolific scoring teams in the Big Ten in 2022. They lead the Big Ten in batting average (.320) and were second in runs scored (565), RBI (519) and home runs (96). RU also led the Big Ten in hits with 701.

    Five different players finished 2022 in double digits in home runs including Nick Cimillo (16),  Ryan Lasko (16), Chris Brito (16), Jordan Sweeney with 12, and Tony Santa Maria with 10 bombs.

    Rutgers routinely blew opponents out, sometimes scoring 20 runs in a single game. Rutgers signature win came May 8 in the back-end of a double-header when they beat Big Ten rival Maryland 18-7, highlighted by nine — count ’em — nine home runs.

  • 6: Rutgers Field Hockey Upsets #3 Northwestern

    While Rutgers Field Hockey came up short in the Big Ten Tournament, they did have a number of significant victories against some of the best teams in the country.

    One of those victories came November 3 in a 2-1 victory against Number 3 Northwestern. Indy Van Ek and Iris Langerjans each had goals in the first quarter, and Rutgers stymied the Wildcats all afternoon to get the win.

    When it came to awards, field hockey wasn’t short on them with Langerjans leading the way with awards for First Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-Region and Third team All-American.

    Puck Winter was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, and Second Team All-Region. Guillermina Causarano was named Second Team All-Region.

  • 5: Changing of the Guard for Rutgers Women's Basketball

    2022 was also a year of change, and Rutgers women’s basketball was no exception. Hall of Fame Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer retired at the end of the 2021-22 season. Taking over the reins is Coquese Washington, an accomplished head coach in her own right having led Penn State for a decade.

    Washington’s Scarlet Knights might have a small roster, and are building a new identity as we speak, but they have a lot of fight posting a 6-9 record in the first half of the 2022-23 season. Washington earned her first win as head coach on November 7 in Rutgers 73-68 win over Hofstra.

    Stringer was recognized by Rutgers for her historic career on December 4 with the naming of C. Vivian Stringer Court.

  • 4: Rutgers women's Soccer Stuns LSU

    Rutgers women’s soccer has been one of the nation’s most successful programs; they earned their 11th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2022, and had a number of significant Big Ten victories this year by defeating the likes of Maryland, Purdue, and Ohio State. But it was this victory in September that stands out.

    Rutgers trailed LSU 2-0 before storming back in the second half to stun the Tigers 3-2. Sam Kroeger got the Scarlet Knights on the board in the 49th minutes. Later, in the 74th minute, Kylie Daigle tied the game up at two. Ten minutes later Kroeger won it.

    The 3-2 victory propelled the Scarlet Knights to an 8-0 record, which they soon turned to 9-0, setting a program record to open a season.

  • 3: Rutgers Men's Basketball Storms Back to Beat Ohio State

    Technically, we should include Rutgers thrilling buzzer beater vs. Purdue on this list, but since that moment happened in December of 2021, we went looking for a big moment in 2022. And there were plenty to choose from, especially this one from last February.

    Rutgers trailed Ohio State by eight points with 3:48 to go before storming back to stun the Buckeyes 66-64. Geo Baker nailed a jumper and had the game winning free throw shots in the final seconds. Clifford Omoruyi also had the game-tying dunk.

    However the game is probably best remembered for this sick block by Caleb McConnell with 1:02 to go in the game.

  • 2: Adam Korsak Recieves Ray Guy Award

    It was an incredible year for senior Adam Korsak. The future NFL punter had a standout year, highlighted by his receiving of the Ray Guy Award which marks the first on-field national award won by a Rutgers football player in program history.

    “The NCAA all-time leader in punting attempts (349) and yardage (15,318), Korsak led a unit that held opponents to -11 return yards this season, best in the nation, with just one positive return against in 75 attempts. He pinned a national-best 32 punts inside the 20 to help Rutgers rank third overall in net punting (43.57).

    “In punts this season from the Rutgers 40 and closer (28 attempts), Korsak downed 13 inside the 10, 20 at the 15 or closer.”

    LISTEN TO OUR INTERVIEW WITH ADAM!

  • 1: Rutgers Men's Soccer Wins Big Ten Title

    Of course this has to be number 1. Rutgers men’s soccer captured the program’s first ever Big Ten Tournament championship in a thrilling 3-1 victory over Indiana back on November 13.

    Ola Maeland scored the game winning goal in the 54th minute and proceeded to do the back-filp seen round the world. A moment that will be etched in time forever.

    The game not only culminated a great season for Rutgers men’s soccer, but was an exclamation point that Rutgers sports is here to stay as one of the powers of the Big Ten in all major sports.

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