PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The start of the postseason means one thing for Rutgers women’s soccer – anything can happen.
In 2021, the Scarlet Knights saw how good that can be.
In 2022, they’ve earned the No. 7 seed out of eight teams in the 2022 Big Ten Women’s Soccer Tournament, which begins Sunday. They will play at No. 2 Northwestern at 1 p.m. ET in a rematch of a 1-1 draw in September.
The Big Ten continues to be one of the sport’s toughest conferences, and this season was no exception as Rutgers (13-3-2) went 5-3-2 in conference play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place and grabbing the 7-seed via tiebreaker protocol. The Big Ten’s third through seven seeds were separated by a mere two points, but none of the numbers matter in the postseason. Every team has a blank slate.
#B1GWSOC Tournament ready. 😈@RUWSoccer x @B1GSoccer pic.twitter.com/NaqKBPxM65
— Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) October 27, 2022
“We’re really excited for the postseason,” sophomore back Kassidy Banks said.” We had a rough weekend last weekend, but we’re leaving the past in the past, and just focusing and taking it one game at a time because it’s either win or go home.”
The Scarlet Knights dropped their final two regular season games against Michigan and Michigan State, both times by one goal, with the Big Ten champion Spartans’ game-winner coming in the final five minutes of the match.
Banks and the Scarlet Knights see the silver lining in those close games serving as learning experiences. Postseason involves knowing how to win close games, and the Scarlet Knights won their first five one-goal games before making their two-match Michigan trip.
“We take everything as a learning experience,” Banks said. “So, even though things didn’t go our way, we’re looking at the positives and using them to see what we can do to be better.”
A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Banks has been a key component of Rutgers’ defense. Alongside sophomore Emily Mason, junior Emma Misal, senior Allison Lynch, and key reserve graduate student Adriana Kuryla, the starting defensive unit has been tough to beat, allowing just 14 goals this season.
“I think defense is really important because if the other team doesn’t score, they can’t win,” Banks noted. “I think that when we don’t give up goals, it gives our offense the best opportunity to score goals and win…
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