Rutgers' Soccer Seasons End With Tournament Losses

The NCAA tournament was more of the same for the Rutgers University women’s soccer team.

For the third consecutive game, the Scarlet Knights went to penalty kicks to decide their game.

This time, the result was a defeat at the hands of West Virginia in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer tournament. 

The loss ended Rutgers’ season with an overall record of 13-4-5, and 5-3-1 in American Athletic Conference play.

The last time Rutgers didn’t go to penalty kicks, it defeated Cincinnati in double overtime in the conference tournament. Rutgers last played a regulation game on Oct. 27, when it beat Temple, 2-1.

West Virginia visits Virginia Tech in the second round of the tournament this weekend.

Rutgers senior Jess Janosz made nine saves. After the teams went through regulation and two overtime periods scoreless, the Mountaineers connected on three penalty kicks for the win. The Scarlet Knights were unable to convert on any of their attempts.

Rutgers won 13 games for the second straight season, according to the University. This year’s tournament appearance was Rutgers’ third in the last five years and eighth overall. The Scarlet Knights also advanced to the conference final for the first time since 2006.

RUN COMES TO AN END FOR MEN’S SOCCER TEAM: After upsetting top-seeded Louisville in the American Athletic Conference tournament last week, the season came to an end for the men’s soccer team in Frisco, Texas.

The eighth-seeded Scarlet Knights dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 5 South Florida in double overtime in the semifinals of the conference tournament over the weekend, according to scarletknights.com.

Sophomore midfielder Mael Corboz, of Green Brook, put Rutgers on the board first in the game’s third minute.

However, the Bulls tied the game less than four minutes later, and the score remained 1-1 through the end of regulation. South Florida finally scored four minutes into the second overtime.

Rutgers, which celebrated its 75th season of men’s soccer this year, advanced to the semifinals with a 5-1 opening round win over Cincinnati and a 1-0 upset of Louisville, at Louisville last weekend.

South Florida went on to the win the conference championship with a win over Connecticut in the title game and earn a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Rutgers finished the season with a record of 7-11-2.

MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM CO-HOSTING NIT TIP-OFF: The men’s basketball team improved to 2-1 on the season heading into Monday night’s NIT Season Tip-Off.

After dropping a 79-76 decision at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) last week, the Scarlet Knights bounced back with a 72-71 win over Yale, according to scarletknights.com.

Senior J.J. Moore hit a three-pointer with 30 seconds left in the game to help Rutgers rally from eight points down with just over eight minutes left in the game.

Moore finished the game with 10 points, the third time this season he’s broken double digits. Junior Kadeem Jack led the way with 18 points, 11 of which came in the second half.

Senior Myles Mack, of Paterson, had 17 points, followed by junior Malick Kone with 12.

Rutgers is seeded fourth and hosts Canisius (1-1) in the opening round of the NIT Season Tip-Off Monday night. Elon (2-1) and Drexel (1-1) also play their opening round game at Rutgers, with the winners meeting Tuesday night. The winner of that game advances to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

Rutgers' game against Canisius will air live on ESPN3 at 7:30 p.m.

ONE-POINT WIN FOR WRESTLING TEAM: After winning four of its first five bouts, the wrestling team fell behind and had to rally for a 16-15 win over Boston University in its home opener over the weekend, according to scarletknights.com. 

Freshman Phil Bakuckas, of Hammonton, won the match for the Scarlet Knights with a 7-0 victory over Colin Saunders at 174 pounds.

Senior Dan Seidenberg, of Red Bank, opened the match with a win for Rutgers, defeating Andrew Maksimovic, 9-3, at 184 pounds.

Sophomore Hayden Hrymack, of Lincroft, scored a major decision over Aaron Conrad, 12-3, at 185 pounds, and heavyweight Billy Smith, of Wantage, avenged last year’s NCAA tournament loss by defeating Kevin Innis, 4-1.

Senior Vinne Dellafave, of Toms River, gave Rutgers its fourth win in five bouts with a 5-4 win over Dane Harlowe.

Boston won the next four bouts to take a 15-13 lead and set up Bakuckas’s heroics.

Rutgers is 2-0 in dual meets this season.