Rutgers women’s soccer will play its final home weekend of the season, starting with a match against No. 25 Ohio State at Yurcak Field on Thursday at 7 p.m. The game also marks the beginning of R NIL and Homecoming Weekend.
The Scarlet Knights, led by head coach Mike O’Neill in his 12th season, have a record of 3-6-4 overall and 1-6-1 in conference play. Ohio State enters the match with a record of 6-2-6 overall and 2-1-5 in the Big Ten. The match will be streamed on B1G+.
O’Neill has guided Rutgers to the NCAA Tournament for each of his previous 11 seasons as head coach, including an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game last year after an 11-win campaign. The team has qualified for the conference tournament every year since joining the Big Ten.
This year’s roster includes 29 players, with 15 returning from last season and 14 newcomers—nine freshmen and five transfers. The coaching staff remains unchanged, with associate head coach Lubos Ancin, assistant coach Madison Tiernan, assistant coach Ryan Nigro, and Director of Operations Trish DiPaolo all returning for their sixth consecutive season together.
Last weekend, Rutgers lost two away matches: a 2-0 defeat at Illinois on Thursday and a 3-0 loss at Northwestern on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer continues to stand out nationally as one of three goalkeepers named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watchlist this season. She has recorded four shutouts and made 56 saves over twelve matches this year, reaching her career milestone of 200 saves last weekend—becoming only the ninth player in program history to do so. Her current total stands at 202 saves, ranking ninth all-time for Rutgers goalkeepers.
Graduate transfer Nata Ramirez leads Rutgers offensively with eight points this season (three goals and two assists). Two of her goals were game-winners against Indiana and Fairfield.
Freshman Lindsey Hailey has played nearly every minute this season—1,147 out of a possible 1,170—and contributed both defensively and offensively by helping secure five shutouts across thirteen matches. She scored her first collegiate goal against Fairfield.
Head coach Mike O’Neill named Olivia Bodmer (goalkeeper), Gabriela Gil (midfielder), and Allie Post (midfielder/forward) as team captains for the current season. Bodmer is serving as captain for a second time; Gil returns after missing part of last year due to injury but was previously recognized as one of the top freshmen nationally; Post brings experience with fifty games played for Rutgers.
The team has seen significant contributions from newcomers this year: nine players have made their collegiate debut while fourteen have appeared for Rutgers for the first time. Three true freshmen—Kennedi Cotter, Lindsey Hailey, and Sophia Stiles—have each scored goals so far this season.
Ashley Baran (forward), Olivia Bodmer (goalkeeper), and Nata Ramirez (midfielder/forward) were all named Big Ten Players to Watch by the conference before the start of the season. Last year Baran led Rutgers with six goals; Bodmer started every game in goal posting seven solo shutouts; Ramirez joined from Columbia where she earned First Team All-Ivy honors after leading her former team in both goals and assists during her final campaign there.
