It has not been the best start for the Scarlet Knights as they started off their season winless through the first four games of the season. However, it hasn’t been all losses. This Rutgers squad has actually held their own on the scoreboard with three ties, not the result the players may want, but it’s been keeping them competitive. Then, with a win last week against Princeton, this squad may be able to ride this small wave of success and hopefully get their players to shine against one of their toughest opponents yet, the Oregon Ducks.
Traveling to Oregon, the Scarlet Knights will be facing off against an Oregon squad that has yet to lose a game, standing at a record of 5-0-1.
Offensively, the Oregon offense seems to be unstoppable, scoring 17 goals in their opening six games, and defensively, only one goal has been let in, coming in their matchup against Santa Clara.
Player Comparisons
Leading the Oregon offense scoring-wise is junior midfielder Ellie Felt, who has been able to score four goals in six games, which were against San Francisco and Oregon State.
Leading the Rutgers offense, senior forward Ashley Baran and freshman Lilia Calvert have both been equal, both scoring two goals in the opening five games for Rutgers.
Rutgers Keys to the Game
For Rutgers to perform well in this game, they will need to rely on their forwards and create shots on goal.
Felt has a little more than double the amount of shots on goal that Baran and Calvert have combined in their opening games (Oregon with one additional game played). This said, Baran and Calvert have been performing well and scoring goals for Rutgers in the past two matchups.
So the next key will be left to the defense. In order to beat Oregon, Rutgers will have to stop the Oregon offense. Ellie Felt is one of their key players on the offense, but even if she does not have her best game, other players are sure to step up, such as Carly Cormack, a junior midfielder, who is right behind Felt in goals with 3 on the season. So, the main concern for Rutgers will be how to stop Oregon’s electric offense, and this is the area where Rutgers has struggled, as they have let nine goals into the back of the net throughout the season.
Rutgers will go into this game as the underdogs, but if they can somehow find a way to slow or even stop this Oregon offense in any way, they may be able to create an upset that will give their fans at home some hope for the rest of the season.
This matchup is set to take place at Pepé Field, in Oregon, on Thursday, September 10.
