Tag: Sophia Cardello

Rutgers lax goalkeeper named Defensive Player of the Week

Rutgers women’s lacrosse got a weekly Big Ten honor.

During the 2024 campaign, Sophia Cardello has been a key piece of Rutgers lacrosse. On Tuesday, she was recognized for her stellar play when she was named the IWLCA Defensive Player of the Week. It is the first nationally weekly recognition of Cardello’s career. 

Last week, the Massapequa, New York native recorded a season-high 15 saves in a 9-8 win over Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. As the Scarlet Knights pulled out a close victory, Cardello came through in the clutch with back-to-back stops in the final 15 seconds. In her stellar performance, Rutgers star held the Terrapins to their lowest goal total of the season. 

While Cardello made headlines due to her top play, it is the type of production Rutgers has come to expect. In 17 games this season, her .470 save percentage is the third-best in the Big Ten. She also ranks third in the conference with a 10.59 goals-against average. She ranks fourth in saves with 151. 

Sophia Cardello calls GAME!

See you in Evanston!#BxB 🧱 | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/iqdPgmQ7Tp

— Rutgers Women’s Lacrosse (@rutgers_wlax) April 27, 2024

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Although Rutgers had a reason to celebrate on Tuesday, their focus is on beating Penn State on Thursday afternoon. In the Big Ten semifinals, they will need Cardello at her best as they take on a Nittany Lions team that went 10-6 in the regular season. 

Rutgers opens Big Ten lacrosse tournament with thrilling win

Rutgers women’s lacrosse got a big upset on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament.

Rutgers women’s lacrosse, behind five goals from Cassidy Spilis, pulled off an upset in the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday with a 15-14 win over Johns Hopkins.

The win is big for Rutgers after they struggled in Big Ten play this year, posting a 1-5 record in the regular season. Rutgers kept things close in the first half as John Hopkins outscored them 9-8. However, they took over in the second half when the Blue Jays were expected to pull away.

The Scarlet Knights scored seven goals in the second half while holding John Hopkins to five. Cassidy Spilis led the way offensively with five goals, and Asley Moynahan chipped in with two goals of her own. Rutgers also got a boost in net from Sophia Cardello, who made 11 saves.

With their first upset of the tournament in the books, Rutgers will look to continue their success on Thursday against Maryland. The Terrapins are the second seed and beat Rutgers 16-8 in mid-March.

While the Big Ten tournament has just begun, the first weekend of postseason play was full of unforgettable moments. The winner of the Rutgers and Maryland game will face Michigan on May sixth with a berth in the 2023 NCAA Championship on the line.

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Sophia Cardello has been a reliable presence in net for Rutgers women’s lacrosse

Sophia Cardello is having a strong season for Rutgers women’s lacrosse.

Over the last few years, Sophia Cardello is a name that Rutgers fans have become familiar with. The Massapequa native has started 43 games for the Scarlet Knights and, in that span and posted a 23-15 record. So far this season, she has continued to receive the bulk of the playing time and built on her success.

In 10 games, Cardello has recorded a 4-6 record while making 92 saves. The talented junior has posted a .479 save percentage in that span and continued to be a durable presence with 573:46 minutes of playing time. While the Scarlet Knights have lost three straight, if the season were to end today, Cardello would finish with the highest save percentage of her career.

Although Cardello has struggled lately, she has four starts with ten or more saves. Two of those came in the last three weeks against Vanderbilt and Michigan. As the Scarlet Knights look to get back on track, they will need Cardello to rediscover her earlier season form.

Cardello started the season with 27 saves in her first three starts. The Scarlet Knights went 3-0 in that span as Cardello did not allow more than eight goals in a start. With the Massapequa High School product at her best, Rutgers was a hard team to beat.

As the season continues, the starting job is Cardello’s to lose. Caleigh Forti has seen some time in net this season but has only appeared in two games. Cardello will be looking to help Rutgers get back in the win column on Thursday when they take on the second-best team in the nation Northwestern.

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