Rutgers Wins 2022 Men’s Soccer Big Ten Tournament Championship

Box Score  |  All-Tournament Team  |  Tournament Central

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Second-seeded Rutgers earned its first Big Ten Conference Men’s Soccer Tournament title on Sunday with a 3-1 win over No. 4 seed Indiana in the championship match at Yurcak Field in Piscataway, N.J. With the victory, Rutgers will be the Big Ten Conference’s automatic qualifier into the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Today’s results ties for the third highest scoring Big Ten Championship game in conference tournament history and highest scoring since 2010, when Michigan topped Penn State 4-1.

The Scarlet Knights (10-4-6) made the most of their first title game appearance, earning the school’s first Big Ten men’s team championship. 

Rutgers senior forward MD Myers was named Offensive Player of the Big Ten Tournament after recording a pair of assists in Sunday’s championship match. Fellow senior Hugo Le Guennec anchored the Scarlet Knights’ defensive effort to claim Defensive Player of the Big Ten Tournament.

Rutgers grabbed an early lead, as Myers and senior Jackson Temple connected before finding sophomore Matthew Acosta, whose one-timer found the back of the net in the fourth minute. The Hoosiers (10-4-6) leveled the score in the 38^th minute, as redshirt senior Ryan Wittenbrink’s corner kick service found sophomore Patrick McDonald on the back post.

The Scarlet Knights regained the lead in the 54^th minute, when junior Ola Maeland bent a corner kick service just inside the far right post for a 2-1 lead. Freshman Ian Abbey sealed the championship for Rutgers with an 85^th minute marker, assisted by Myers.

While both sides recorded 14 shots on the day, Rutgers put more than half of its attempts target, while only five Indiana shots found their mark.

Rutgers’ freshman goaltender Ciaran Dalton recorded the victory with four saves, while Indiana’s junior netminder JT Harms notched five saves.

Both teams will learn their NCAA Tournament fates on Monday, when the NCAA broadcasts the 2022 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament Selection Show on Monday at 1 p.m. (ET) live on NCAA.com.

 

2022 Big Ten Men’s Soccer All-Tournament Team

Ryan Wittenbrink, Indiana

Nyk Sessock, Indiana

Malcolm Johnston, Maryland

Owen Finnerty, Michigan State

Jason Gajadhar, Northwestern

Xavier Green, Ohio State

Jalen Watson, Penn State

Ciaran Dalton, Rutgers

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