Prior to kickoff on Friday, four seniors on the team were recognized for their accomplishments over the years. Midfielder Ellyn Gruber, forward Kayla Varner, defender Ashely Gruenbaum and midfielder Kenzie Schlemitz achieved 44 victories in their time at OSU including a Big Ten Championship in 2012.
The Buckeyes (6-10-3, 3-7-3) had an early chance just over a minute into the game when junior midfielder Michela Paradiso’s eight-yard header off a free kick from freshman midfielder Nikki Walts sailed over the crossbar. Gruber got a chance in the 15th minute off a cross from Paradiso but her 18-yard shot drifted high.
The Scarlet Knights (12-4-1, 8-4-1) took the lead in the 20th minute after senior forward Stefanie Scholz nailed a 10-yard shot off a cross from redshirt-junior forward Amanda DeVolk. Scholz almost doubled the lead in the 33rd minute with a shot from the top of the box but redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Megan Geldernick was there to make the save.
The Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights were tied with four shots apiece while the Scarlet Knights held a 3-0 lead in shots on goal when the first half ended.
The Scarlet Knights closed out the scoring in the 50th minute as sophomore forward Madison Tiernan tapped in a rebound off a shot by sophomore midfielder Jennifer Andresen to make it a 2-0 game.
The Buckeyes came close to cutting the deficit in half in the 52nd minute but freshman forward Sammy Edwards’ header from in the box hit the woodwork. Sophomore forward Nichelle Prince attempted to cut into the lead in the 63rd minute but had her shot blocked.
OSU was unable to overcome the Scarlet Knights defense for the rest of the half, giving Rutgers the shutout win.
The Buckeyes finished their season with a record of 6-10-3 overall and 3-7-3 in the Big Ten.
