Ciaran Dalton powers Rutgers men's soccer past Maryland
The Rutgers men’s soccer team traveled to College Park, Maryland, to face off against Maryland last night. The Scarlet Knights (3-5-2, 1-2-1) defeated the Terrapins (1-6-2, 0-4-1) by a score of 2-1 to earn their first conference win of the season.
Rutgers got off to a fast start, scoring the opening goal in the 7th minute. The goal was scored by senior forward Ola Maeland, whose initial shot rattled off the left post but rebounded directly back to him, allowing him to tap the ball into the back of the net.
Maryland would have a goal-scoring opportunity approximately 3 minutes later when the ball fell to Luke van Heukelum, but his shot attempt was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Ciaran Dalton.
The Knights would extend their lead in the 19th minute. Junior midfielder Matthew Acosta’s shot attempt was blocked by Jamie Lowell, but sophomore forward Ian Abbey buried home the rebound to make the score 2-0.
Dalton made another strong save to preserve the 2-goal lead in the 22nd minute. William Kulvik received the ball at his feet following a deflection, but Dalton used his right hand to keep the ball out.
The Terrapins would cut their deficit in half in the 32nd minute. Max Riley shot the ball on the edge of the box into the bottom left corner to put Maryland on the board.
Rutgers’ backline remained strong for the remainder of the first half to preserve its 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The Terrapins would gain momentum at the start of the second half as the team pushed for an equalizing goal.
Maryland would have an opportunity to tie the game in the 62nd minute when freshman midfielder Francesco Di Ponzio’s hand was hit by the ball in the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Kimani Stewart-Baynes stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was wide to keep the score at 2-1.
In the 77th minute, Stefan Copetti got on the end of a cross and fired a shot that was heading into the bottom left corner, but his shot attempt was spectacularly saved by a diving Dalton.
For the final 13 minutes of the game, the Knights would defend solidly, and one more save from Dalton was ultimately enough to earn them the win.
Dalton had an impressive performance between the posts, as his career-high 10 saves led Rutgers to the victory. It was the most saves made by a Big Ten goalkeeper since 2021.
The win also marked the team's first-ever win at College Park, Maryland.
The Knights will look to build on the win when they travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern on Sunday. The game will begin at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
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