Rutgers Women's Soccer Team Advances to Conference Semifinals

The Rutgers University women’s soccer team kept its championship hopes alive with a thrilling win over the weekend.

The third-seeded Scarlet Knights ousted No. 6 Cincinnati with a 2-1 double overtime win in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament on Sunday.

Rutgers now travels to Central Florida this weekend, and will face No. 7 Memphis in the tournament semifinals. Memphis upset No. 2 Louisville, 2-1 this weekend.

Rachel Cole, a sophomore forward from Teaneck, net the game-winner from 30 yards out, according to scarletknights.com. It was her second goal of the season.

Redshirt senior Jonelle Filigno put Rutgers up in the 13th minute of the contest, and the Scarlet Knights held the lead until a Bearcats’ goal in the 79th minute.

Redshirt goalie Jess Janosz made five saves in the contest.

Rutgers is making its first trip to the conference semifinals since advancing to the Big East tournament semifinals in 2006.

Rutgers meets up with Memphis at 7:30 p.m. Friday. In the other semifinal, No. 1 Central Florida hosts No. 5 South Florida at 5 p.m.

The winners play for a conference championship on Sunday at noon in a game that will be televised live on ESPNU.

TWO SELECTED FOR ALL-AMERICAN TEAM: Filigno and junior Stef Scholtz, of South Hackensack, have been selected by College Sports Madness to the American Athletic Conference second team, the University announced Monday morning.

Scholtz has 10 goals and an assist this season. Filigno has eight goals and three assists.

MEN’S SOCCER HEADS TO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: The Rutgers University men’s soccer team is seeded eighth in the American Athletic Conference tournament, and will open the tournament at Louisville on Friday.

The Scarlet Knights will face No. 9 Cincinnati in the first round Friday afternoon at Louisville, 2 p.m. The winner faces No. 1 seed Louisville on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

Despite a 2-1 loss to Central Florida to close the regular season last week, the Scarlet Knights finished ahead of the Bearcats in the conference standings.

Rutgers was 5-10-2 overall, 2-5-1 in conference play. Cincinnati finished with a better overall record, at 6-11-1, but was 1-7 in conference action this season.

Louisville earned the top seed with a 5-1-2 conference record. The Cardinals were 11-3-3 overall.

Rutgers defeated Cincinnati, 1-0, at home on Oct. 5, on a goal from sophomore Mitchell Taintor. The Scarlet Knights dropped a 3-1 decision to Louisville on Oct. 12.

IT DOESN’T GET MUCH CLOSER: The Rutgers University wrestling team opened its season with a 22-21 win at Hofstra on Sunday. The match was tied, 21-21, but the Scarlet Knights picked up the victory because they scored more pinfalls, according to scatletknights.com.

The falls came from a pair of sophomores.

At 197 pounds, Hayden Hrymack, of Lincroft, scored the fall on David Heitman in 43 seconds. At 285 pounds, Billy Smith, of Wantage, pinned Michael Hughes after five minutes, 17 seconds.

Hofstra’s only pinfall came at 149 pounds, where Cody Ruggirello pinned sophomore Ken Theobold, of Toms River, in 6:36.

The Scarlet Knights also picked up the following victories:

157: Redshirt sophomore Anthony Perrotti (Roseland, N.J.) won by decision over Nick Terdick, 6-4;

174: Redshirt freshman Phillip Bakuckas (Hammonton, N.J.) won by decision over Victor Pozsonyi, 3-0; and

184: Redshirt senior Dan Seidenberg (Red Bank, N.J.) won by decision over Dwight Howes, 3-1.

CROSS COUNTRY COMPETES FOR CONFERENCE CROWNS: The Rutgers University women’s cross country team finished fifth in the American Athletic Conference Championship Meet on Saturday with three finishers in the top 30.

Sophomore Paige Senatore finished 17th in 21:33.53.

Senior Rashmi Singh (Flemington, N.J.) and junior Allison Payenski (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) finished 28th and 29th respectively.  Singh finished in at 22:14.16. Payenski recorded a time of 22:18.48.

The men’s team finished sixth in their conference championship meet, with a pair of top 30 finishers.

Chris Banafato was 19th, finishing in 24:31.28. Chris DeFabio was 26th with a time of 24:41.98.