Rutgers women's soccer falls, 1-0, to Michigan in Big Ten title game

The top-seeded Rutgers women’s soccer program fell in the Big Ten championship game against the Michigan Wolverineson Sunday, a disappointing loss that marks the end of the team’s historic 13-game winning streak.

The heartbreaking loss at Yurcak Field before 5,103 fans on Sunday was a disappointing blip in an otherwise illustrious season for Rutgers, which last week secured the conference's regular-season crown and became the first university program to earn a Big Ten banner.

Rutgers fell 1-0 to Michigan, after Wolverines midfielder Raleigh Loughman found the back of the net in the 26th minute of play. Rutgers goalkeeper Meagan McClelland (Hunterdon Central) had four saves in a game where Michigan out-shot the Scarlet Knights in 90 minutes of play.

Rutgers now has its eyes set on the NCAA tournament that begins later this week.

“It’s disappointing, but we’re all still very proud,” said Rutgers head coach Mike O’Neill after the match. “It just wasn’t our day today. We did a lot of things that, we just weren’t ourselves. That’s a credit to [Michigan]. But for us, we’ll go and we’ll look at those things and get better for the NCAA tournament.”

Michigan dominated the first half of Sunday's game, securing a necessary advantage early on that proved too much for the Knights to bounce back from. The Wolverines did a great job penetrating Rutgers’ nationally ranked defense.

'A sight to behold': Rutgers University inaugurates first Black president

The Wolverines had 10 goal attempts in the first half, while Rutgers had only one. In the second half, Rutgers picked its attack back up – with eight shots on goal – but the push proved too little too late.

Rutgers’ seniors Amirah Ali (Eastern Regional) and Gabby Provenzano (Hunterdon Central) were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team after the title game.

Provenzano is a key part of the Knight’s midfield. However, with 38 seconds on the clock, the midfielder/forward suffered an injury and was carried off the field. After the game, O’Neill said he was unsure of her status and would know more later in the week.

Ali was a key player for the Knights all season, and especially on Sunday. There were several moments in the game where she found the ball in the goalie’s box. Each time, the crowd roared.

Despite the loss, Ali said the team has plenty to be proud of.

“We’re very proud of ourselves, going undefeated is something that doesn’t really happen. It’s really small victories. We got the conference win. We got the championship there. We got our ring,” Ali said. “We did what we had to do, and now it’s just going on to the NCAAs. It’s focusing on the next thing and we’re going to do well in that. We’re focused on that. We’re going to keep pushing.”

Rutgers news: Medical student's upcoming app helps transgender people find safe health care

Rutgers struggled with creating chances on net all game long. In the second half, the Knights had a few bright spots, heating up in the final 20 minutes of the game.

“We’re very dangerous when we’re going together, and I think sometimes when we start the game, we’re a little slow to get to that point,” said senior midfielder and forward Frankie Tagliaferri (Colts Neck) after the match. “I think every game we’re getting better with it.”

This marked the third appearance in the Big Ten championship game for the Knights, and the team’s first in five years. Rutgers women's soccer put together a 13-game winning streak before this loss to Michigan. It is four games more than the longest streak by the 2015 Knights.

Tagliaferri said that, after the game, O’Neill told the team to keep their heads up – reminding them that the season is not over, and the NCAA title chase is only just beginning.

“We have bigger things to be chasing after now,” Tagliaferri said.

Melanie Anzidei is a reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: anzidei@northjersey.com

Twitter: @melanieanzidei

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers women's soccer falls, 1-0, to Michigan in Big Ten title game