Rutgers women’s soccer secures point against UConn in Storrs
Goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer recorded six saves as the Scarlet Knights drew 0-0 with the Huskies, building on their recent second-half improvements.
Rutgers women’s soccer secured a 0-0 draw against UConn on Thursday night at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium in Storrs, Connecticut. The result allowed the Scarlet Knights to take a point from the match, marking a follow-through on their efforts to build on the second-half performance from their previous fixture.
Goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer was central to the defensive effort, making six saves to preserve the draw. Freshman Lilia Calvert led the attacking line for Rutgers, with Amanda Thornton also retaining her place in the front line after making her first career starts in the previous week.
Head coach Joe O’Neill made one change to the starting lineup from the match against Tennessee, with Olivia Russomanno replacing Ashley Baran. The remainder of the starting eleven held steady, with the same back four and central midfield pairing of Gabriela Gil and Lily Ann Phillips. O’Neill utilised all nine substitutes before halftime, matching the total used in the previous match.
The draw comes a week after Rutgers lost 4-1 to No. 24 Tennessee. In that encounter, the Scarlet Knights outshot the Lady Vols 10-7 in the second half and took all six of their corner kicks in the final 45 minutes. A 76th-minute goal from senior forward Emma Johns also featured in that match, providing a foundation for the team’s subsequent performance.
UConn, who finished third in the Big East the previous season with an 11-4-3 record, entered the match as a formidable opponent. The Huskies returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and were picked as the runner-up in the Big East preseason poll behind Georgetown. This match served as UConn’s home opener against a former Big East rival, a conference Rutgers left for the Big Ten 18 years ago.
The Huskies had previously opened their season with a 2-2 draw against Stony Brook, a match in which they trailed twice before equalising in the 83rd minute through Ines Nourani’s first career goal.
