Oregon had gone an entire season without giving up a single goal in the run of play. That absolutely insane streak came crashing down when Rutgers, in just four minutes and eleven seconds of the second half, found the back of the net. Amanda Thornton, back in the starting lineup, buried a shot from the middle of the box off her right foot at the 49:11 mark, and that was all Rutgers needed. They beat Oregon 1-0 on Thursday at Papé Field, stunning the 673 fans in attendance and kicking off Big Ten play with a massive win.
Outshot, Out-Cornered, Still Won: How Rutgers Pulled It Off
Talk about a gutsy performance! Rutgers was outshot 20-16, out-cornered a ridiculous 8-1, and even outshot on target 10-3. But none of that mattered because Olivia Bodmer was an absolute brick wall, making eleven saves and refusing to let anything past her. Thornton’s goal was the only shot Rutgers even put on target in the entire second half. It was a classic smash-and-grab, showing exactly what this Rutgers team is capable of when it counts. They arrived at 1-1-3 with a week’s rest and had just bagged their first win of the season, a wild 4-2 victory over Princeton where they gave up the lead twice but still pulled it out. Lilia Calvert scored two goals in four minutes after the 80th minute in that Princeton game, the first two of her college career, and Ashley Baran and Sophia Stiles also chipped in.
Oregon’s Unbelievable Run Comes to an End
Oregon came into this game looking like an absolute juggernaut, boasting a 5-0-1 record. This was only the second time since 1981 they had gone unbeaten through nonconference play. Their 5-0-1 start was their best since the 2016 team did the same. They had blasted 17 goals through six matches, their program’s most in 45 years, and had only conceded one, a third-minute penalty back on August 20th. Their 0.17 goals-against average led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally. Seriously, five shutouts in six matches? Only one other Oregon team had done that, back in 2011. Dating back to last season, they were unbeaten in eight (6-0-2) and had outshot opponents 108-49. Even crazier, they had never conceded a second-half goal all year. Thornton’s finish ended their shutout streak at 406 minutes and 29 seconds, the fourth-longest in program history. That’s a huge stat to chew on.
For Rutgers, a team picked 15th of 18 in the Big Ten preseason poll after missing the NCAA tournament last season, this win is a massive statement. Oregon, picked 18th in that same poll, had a near-perfect start completely derailed. What a way to open conference play!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply