Michigan
7-3-0, 3-1Big Ten
Rutgers
6-1-0, 2-1Big Ten
Wolverines Drop B1G Match in Inaugural Meeting with Rutgers
9/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
• Boxscore 
Site: New Brunswick, N.J. (Yurcak Field)
Score: Rutgers 1, Michigan 0
Records: U-M (7-3-0, 3-1-0 Big Ten), Rutgers (6-1-0, 2-1-0 Big Ten)
Attendance: 1,018
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Sept. 27 -- vs. Michigan State (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team's five-game winning streak was snapped by Rutgers, as the Scarlet Knights edged the Wolverines, 1-0, in the first-ever meeting between the teams on Sunday (Sept. 21) at Yurcak Field. The loss marked U-M's first in Big Ten Conference play and U-M moved to 7-3-0 overall and 3-1-0 in Big Ten play.
The first 20 minutes of the match featured fast-paced, aggressive attacking and counterattacking by both sides. Rutgers nearly tallied the game's first goal in the seventh minute, as a shot by Scarlet Knight Amanda DeVolk from the far right side cleared freshman goalkeeper Megan Hinz's (Eldersburg, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) head, but was denied by the left post.
Michigan and Rutgers settled in for the final 25 minutes of the opening half, with both teams creating scoring chances, but the game remained scoreless at halftime. The Scarlet Knights led in shot count at the break, 8-5, including 3-0 in shots on goal.
Two minutes into the second half, Rutgers had its second close call of the match, as Amy Pietrangelo's shot from outside the top of the box hit the crossbar dead center. Four minutes later, a Scarlet Knight goal off a corner kick was called off due to an off-ball foul on the far side of the box.
Rutgers eventually did notch the first goal of the game in the 64th minute, as Stefanie Scholz played a low-driven short cross from the right side to Jessica Puchalski, who tapped it in from a yard out near the center of the goal line. Puchalski's goal proved to be the game-winner.
Rutgers outshot Michigan, 14-7, including 5-0 in shots on goal, and held a slight advantage in corner kicks, 5-4. Hinz made four saves in goal for the Wolverines.
The Wolverines will now return home to host in-state foe Michigan State on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Stadium.
GAME SUMMARY| By Periods | 1 | 2 | F |
| Rutgers | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- RU, Jessica Puchalski, 63:24 (Stefanie Scholz)
Shots: U-M 17, RU 14
Shots on Goal: U-M 0, RU 5
Saves: U-M 4 (Megan Hinz), RU 0 (Casey Murphy)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, RU 5
Cards: RU, Madison Tiernan, 66:55 (yellow)
N O T E S
• Michigan lost to Rutgers in the first-ever meeting between the two programs and the first match between the Wolverines and Scarlet Knights in Big Ten play.
• Today's loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Michigan that began on Sept. 5 versus Toledo.
• Michigan was shutout for the third time this season and the first time since its 3-0 loss at San Diego State (Aug. 31).
• Goalkeeper Megan Hinz recorded her first loss of the season and is now 6-1 overall. She allowed just her third goal in Big Ten play and fifth of the season.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Greg Ryan
On his thoughts on today's game ... "I thought they were sharper than we were. They were quicker to the first ball in almost every situation. We're taller and they were better than us in the air. I felt like we never got on track -- we did get in, but we never even tested the goalie -- we had no shots on goal. I think it was a strange game to evaluate because we were very fatigued and they weren't. This was their seventh game and our 10th. We've played nothing but two-game weekends -- they played a one-game weekend last weekend. I think it was just a game where our kids were exhausted before we started. I think they did their best, but we were fatigued after a close game on Friday night. We don't use many subs, they used a lot of subs. They were just a lot fresher than us today and I think that's a reflection of both halves."
On how they'll approach this game moving forward ... "We talked to the team about that and I think we just put this one behind us because so many of the mistakes we made were just mental mistakes from being exhausted. They've been executing really well in all areas in the last five games, and we didn't execute those things today. Just looking at them on the field, I don't think that's a function of their ability to execute it's just a function of fatigue. We talked about the fact that if we could get through this weekend, we start catching a break -- we get one game next weekend, two the next, one game the following. It will give us a chance to catch our breath and we just haven't had that opportunity yet. We knew it was going to be a tough weekend, especially two games in a row against good teams. Today Rutgers was just better, they were fresher, had more energy. We're going to wash this one out and not worry about it moving forward."
On how he feels the team is playing through four Big Ten games ... "Considering how young we are, I'm really proud of the whole team. You look at our lineup today and it's all freshmen and sophomores, with a few juniors and Jen Pace as our only senior. You look at Rutgers' lineup, they're almost all juniors, a couple of seniors and a couple of underclassmen. For us to be doing as well as we are against teams that a far more experienced than us, and to still be in today's game even though we didn't play well. I'm really proud of the team where they're at -- it's hard to feel that way after this kind of a loss, but today was just about our fatigue."
Contact: Whitney Dixon
Team Stats
Puchalski, Jessica (3)
Assisted By: Scholz, Stefanie
Crossed into the box by #9, finished in
63:24
