It was a great day “on the banks” Wednesday night as Rutgers men’s soccer earned their second win of the season. The Scarlet Knights took down Columbia 2-0 in a must-win game before the start of Big Ten play.
Rutgers was lifted by a late first half score by Jackson Temple and guaranteed the win by a second half strike by Luciano Sanchez. Under the lights, the Scarlet Knights showed up and showed out on their home turf.
One could even say that the Scarlet Knights performance was fliptastic.
Some goals just make us flip out. #GoRU pic.twitter.com/3FF0WiUuUf
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights (@RUAthletics) September 14, 2023
The scoring started at 40:19 into the game. A missed kick by a Columbia defender allowed Temple to capitalize. Temple corralled the ball and dribbled it all the way to the net, beating one defender before loading up and shooting to the left side of the goal from just outside the box.
41' | JACKSON TEMPLE ‼️ ‼️
The grad student gives Rutgers the lead just before halftime
📺 https://t.co/aIrvSVeEzi
📊 https://t.co/AaKY4fXAlF#GoRU | #RUMS pic.twitter.com/EsachutbtV— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) September 13, 2023
A good takeaway and even better finish to put the Scarlet Knights up one going into half. Rutgers wouldn’t strike again till under a minute left in regulation. Sanchez had a fantastic individual effort, dribbling the ball all the way from the logo to just inside of the box.
With four defenders surrounding Sanchez, nothing was going to stop him from finding the back of the net. Sanchez buried the ball in the bottom right of the goal with a great ending to a good match for Rutgers.
90' | Luciano Sanchez breaks free for the insurance score 👏
📺 https://t.co/aIrvSVeEzi
📊 https://t.co/AaKY4fXAlF#GoRU | #RUMS pic.twitter.com/rjdWVrZjFP— Rutgers Men's Soccer (@RUMensSoccer) September 14, 2023
Breaking it down
Rutgers men’s soccer dominated all over the pitch, from the shots to the corners to the foul advantage, the Scarlet Knights always had the upper hand. Rutgers had 22 shots with 11 on goal, however, fans didn’t get the high scoring game you would expect with that many on goal. The Columbia goalkeeper held his own as he made nine saves.
It would be great to see Rutgers have a better shot selection and actually execute when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net. It is great to have shots, but if you don’t do anything with them it doesn't matter. When it comes to Big Ten play Rutgers will be tested, so consistency and accuracy will make the world of a difference in those matches.
At the end of the day, a win is a win and that is what the Rutgers men’s soccer team should focus on. Every game they face needs to be a win moving forward, if they want to contend in the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.
Team Statistics
| RUT | COLUMBIA | |
| Goals | 2 | 0 |
| Shots | 22 | 8 |
| Shots on Goal | 11 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 9 |
| Corners | 6 | 5 |
| Offsides | 4 | 2 |
| Fouls | 7 | 16 |
Rutgers Men’s Soccer Next Game
The Scarlet Knights move into the second half of their season, facing mostly all Big Ten competition.
- Time and Date: September 17 at 2:00 PM EST
- Vs: Michigan State
- Location: Yurcak Field
- Watch: B1G+
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