Rutgers men's soccer returns to glory with Big Ten Tournament title

PISCATAWAY – For the first time in a generation, there’s an addition to the Rutgers men’s soccer team’s crowded trophy case.

The Scarlet Knights’ renaissance season hit a high note Sunday with a 3-1 victory over perennial power Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament final, thrilling a crowd of 4,200 and cementing the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015.

It’s the first title of any kind for Rutgers men’s soccer since 1999 (a Big East regular-season crown) and the first conference tournament triumph since 1997 (also in the Big East). This for a program that won six league titles and made 13 NCAA Tournaments and three College Cups during the 1980s and 90s.

Also of historic significance: This is the first Rutgers men’s program to capture a Big Ten championship since the university joined the league in 2014. The women’s soccer and field hockey programs broke through last fall.

“It’s a dream come true,” said captain Thomas DeVizio, a Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School grad and one of several New Jerseyans in the lineup. “We always talk about how there is so much Rutgers history, but how can we create own history? That’s what we did today.”

The second-seeded Scarlet Knights (10-4-6) will learn of their NCAA Tournament draw Monday at 1 p.m. They will likely debut in the first-round of the 48-team bracket (the top 16 teams get byes into the second round). The first-round pairings tend to be geographical, so it’s not out of the question that Rutgers could face Seton Hall, which is on the bubble after exiting in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

Rutgers’ own bubble concerns are over, and the triumph over fourth-seeded Indiana (10-4-6) does more than punch an NCAA ticket. Given Indiana’s pedigree – the Hoosiers own eight national titles and appeared in the NCAA final as recently as the spring of 2021 – this is a sign that the Scarlet Knights possess the chops to advance in the bracket.

"It's finally clicking at the right time," goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton said. "I think we can make a big statement."

Impressive showing

Rutgers seized command at the start. Sophomore midfielder Matthew Acosta, a North Hunterdon High School grad, opened the scoring three minutes into the action by finishing a cross into the goalie box from senior forward MD Myers of Delran.

Indiana countered with a goal at the 37-minute mark, and the sides hit halftime with the score level at 1-1.

Rutgers regained control eight minutes into the second half as junior forward Ola Maeland bent a corner kick into the net with the help of a mighty wind gust.

"That was crazy," Maeland said. "That moment felt so good. I was just trying to get it on the back post, and the wind took it and turned it perfectly."

Maeland punctuated the goal with a celebratory cartwheel-turned-backflip that is sure to make the rounds on social media.

"I had done that a lot of times (in the past) and my teammates knew it was coming," he said. "You could see them clearing out the area."

Then it fell to Rutgers’ defense to hold the fort as Indiana pressed up for the equalizer. Led by senior Hugo Le Guennec and sophomore Joey Zalinsky, a Brick Memorial High School grad, the back line held firm.

“Hugo and Joey Zalinsky were just amazing in the back today defending set pieces,” Rutgers coach Jim McElderry said. “A great performance by them.”

Dalton, a freshman, proved equal to the task with five saves, including a point-blank stop with 10 minutes left. An insurance goal on a breakaway by freshman Ian Abbey (assist: MD Myers) put the outcome on ice as the clock ticked down.

It won’t be lost on anyone who follows Rutgers sports that this triumph came at the expense of the school that Rutgers has owned in men’s basketball for several years and just beat in football. Indiana just can’t seem to deal with the Garden State.

'The fans today were incredible'

Soccer is deeply ingrained in New Jersey's bloodstream, so Sunday's match doubled as a celebration of the sport.

"The fans today were incredible," DeVizio said.

McElderry, who hails from Ramsey in Bergen County, grew up following Rutgers soccer. This is what he envisioned when he took the job in 2018.

"When I was in high school and college, it was the heyday for Rutgers soccer; I came to games here and the place was packed," he said. "I told the guys before the game, when I came here four years ago, of course we want to win, but the environment we had today is what I was trying to create."

That happened through winning, naturally, but also the way Rutgers has won -- with local talent playing an attacking, high-octane brand of the beautiful game.

"We've got some New Jersey guys who are big-time players who decided to play here, so I'm really proud of that," McElderry said.

They came on in waves Sunday, with two goals from subs and little drop-off as McElderry went to his bench.

"If we play the way we did today, we can beat anybody," the coach said.

Rutgers hasn't been ranked in the Top 25 all season, a fact that was not lost on the players amid Sunday's celebration.

"I think we're one of the best teams in the country," Maeland said. "We're going to show that in the next couple of games."

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers men's soccer returns to glory with Big Ten Tournament title