Filigno’s late heroics aid RU?comeback
With the Rutgers women’s soccer team showcasing only one consistent goal scorer in forward Jonelle Filigno, the junior has played the role of hero on multiple occasions this season.
She demonstrated her role again yesterday, as Filigno found the back of the net twice in the last 30 minutes against Dartmouth to capture a 2-1 victory.
“We pushed for that first goal, and once we had that we were pumped up from there and wanted that second one,” Filigno said. “It felt great to get that second goal and it feels great anytime you get the game winner.”
Filigno’s game-winning strike came in the 88th minute, when she took a pass from senior defender Tricia DiPaolo and put the ball away behind Dartmouth goalie Tatiana Saunders.
Filigno tied the contest in the 61st minute on an assist by freshman midfielder Hayley Katkowski after the Knights were down, 1-0, to the Big Green.
“Any time you’re down a goal and you respond like that it’s good,” said head coach Glenn Crooks. “It is a team with character who is used to winning. It is a great way to go into the Big East.”
The performance Filigno put on yesterday was not the first time she executed that way.
Against Ohio State on August 29, Filigno scored the only Knights goal in a double-overtime victory.
She scored both goals for Rutgers (7-1) when the Knights were down against Bucknell. Filigno tied the score against the Bison and then scored again in the 60th minute to erase the deficit.
Both strikes brought Filigno to seven goals on the season and made it the second game where she found the back of the net twice.
“With myself, I feel like there is some pressure to perform at my best all the time,” Filigno said. “It is pressure that I thrive off of and something that gets me going. I like taking that leadership role and I want to be the one to make the difference.”
Rutgers managed only five shots in the first half, compared to seven in the second with two of those attempts resulting in goals.
“I think our plan is to not score in the first half,” Crooks said jokingly. “It is something that we want to improve on, but we are 7-1.”
Dartmouth (2-2) and Stony Brook, which the Knights played Friday, represented the last two games of the out-of-conference schedule. Rutgers opens up Big East play Friday, when they host Villanova at Yurcak Field.
While Villanova only holds one win on the year, they are still a part of a conference that contains three ranked programs, including Rutgers.
Crooks believes the out-of-conference slate, which featured Ohio State and No. 14 Texas A&M, only helped the team before league play begins.
“With such a young team, we are getting results,” Crooks said. “Even if it is not going well at times we are still getting results. Our only blemish was at [Texas A&M], and that was a learning experience. I think you learn from these games, and we will go into the Big East with a pretty good record.”
