Rutgers Women’s Soccer sits atop Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll

Rutgers Women’s Soccer picked to repeat as Big Ten Champions in preseason poll

The 2022 Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll for college women’s soccer was released on Monday, and it represented a historic day in Scarlet Knight history. Rutgers women’s soccer came found themselves ranked No. 1 in the poll, marking the first time in Rutgers Athletics history a team has been picked No. 1. It also marks the first time in conference history the women’s soccer preseason poll resulted in a tie for the top spot as Rutgers tied with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Rutgers is coming off it’s first Big Ten title in program and school history in 2021, going a perfect 10-0 in-conference during the regular season and finishing 19-4-2 overall. Last season, the Scarlet Knights finished ranked No. 3 in the collegiate poll – their highest ranking in school history. The women’s soccer powerhouse made it to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.

Additionally – graduate student goalkeeper Meagan McClelland, junior midfielder Sara Brocious, and sophomore forward Riley Tiernan were honored as 2022 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Players to Watch.

McClelland earned All-Big Ten Third Team and All-Region Third Team honors in 2021. The goalkeeper recorded 13 shutouts and 83 saves on the year. She maintained a 0.67 GAA in net, helping the Scarlet Knights extend its streak to eight straight seasons registering a GAA of 0.77 or less.

Brocious was a force throughout the College Cup, tallying four goals and six assists. She showed a penchant for coming up big in clutch situations. The junior provided an assist in the 2-2 overtime win over Arkansas in the NCAA quarterfinals, and scored the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory to clinch the Big Ten title.

Tiernan was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the ECAC Rookie of the Year, and a United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team selection in 2021. She recorded 29 points on eight goals and a team-high 13 assists – a new program record for a season.

Last season was one of the best in the history of the program, and the team is bringing back plenty of players from last year. The Scarlet Knights will look to make a third trip to the College Cup in program history.