Rutgers men’s soccer opened Big Ten play on Sunday in dramatic fashion with a 90th minute goal to tie Michigan State. Jackson Temple scored with just one second remaining on the game clock to secure a much needed draw for the Scarlet Knights.
After a scoreless first half, Michigan State took a 1-0 lead in the 67th minute. Will Eby scored off a set piece that was assisted by Jack Guggemos.
The Scarlet Knights continued to battle but were unable to finish on a few scoring opportunities. With the clock under two minutes remaining, head coach Jim McElderry called for an all out attack. It paid off in a big way.
On a rebound off of a Nicholas Collins header, Temple was able to gather the ball and score in traffic inside the box. It was a true buzzer beating goal that clinched a point for Rutgers. Collins and Devon Stopek were credited with assists.
It was a thrilling way to end Senior Day for Rutgers. Eight seniors were honored as well as two graduate students. They were Jace Orvos, Cole Sotack, Jason Bouregy, Colin Beasley, Ola Maeland, Gabriel Addo, Saahb Kular, Nick Spittle, Jackson Temple and Chris Tiao.
Rutgers outshot the Spartans 14-10 including 6-4 in shots on goal. RU also held a 4-2 edge in corner kicks. Goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton made three saves in the draw.
Temple leads the Scarlet Knights with three goals and eight points on the season.
The Rutgers men’s soccer team improved to 2-3-2 overall as Michigan State is now 4-0-1 this season. MSU owns a 7-1-2 all-time series lead.
Rutgers will next play at Michigan on Friday, September 22 for its Big Ten road opener. It will stream live on B1G+ at 7 pm ET.
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pj43
September 18, 2023 at 2:17 pm
Pandemonium in Piscataway! Somehow, Jackson Temple always seems to be at the right place at the right time with a flair for the dramatic. Maybe this is the jump start the team needed for the Big Ten part of the schedule.
Henry Rutgers
September 18, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Aaron, the amount of time on the clock when Temple scored was one second remaining. The referees had to reset the clock with one second left in the game and allow MSU to kickoff from midfield to officially end the game.
The team looked good. We’re blessed with an abundance of speed and talent. I think we’ll see the front line begin to become more productive when Temple, Maeland and Sanchez emerge as the starting forwards and get more time together. Maeland is a scoring threat but also compliments Temples crosses with quality headers.
The back looks solid and should get even better when Kulhar returns to the lineup. The midfield played pretty well most of the game although there were times when I thought one of the RU coaches was going to enter the field of play out of frustration. What seemed to be happening was that when the ball changed possession on the RU end of the field all the backs retreated, and no one was left to challenge the advance. It shows up on the replay several times. You look at it and wonder why nine RU players are standing on the 18 and no one is out pressuring the ball, cutting off the passing lanes or angles. Acosta is a very capable midfielder when he’s in the midfield.
I think this team will continue to improve and surprise a few Big Ten opponents. By the end of the season, they will contend.
Aaron Breitman
September 18, 2023 at 8:56 pm
OF course that’s soccer. I guess I didn’t phrase it correctly but I meant it was as close to a buzzer beater as possible in soccer as the clock doesn’t run out. I was just trying to emphasize the drama of scoring with one second. Thank you for making me think about expressing it in a better way.
Henry Rutgers
September 19, 2023 at 9:57 am
You and your ‘Scarlet Faithful’ are doing an awesome job. I’m a huge fan, not a critic. Scoring at 89.59 in a 90 minute game to tie up the game is about as dramatic end as might be scripted. Well, almost. Going ahead to win at 89.59 would have been better.
You’re a pro and as such always open to suggestions. On to PSU Thursday for the women and the other Michigan team at Ann Arbor Friday evening for our men’s soccer team plus football at Ann Arbor Saturday. A gauntlet for our men and women. Let’s knock them down one at a time.