The sixth-seeded Scarlet Knights upset the third-seeded Mountaineers 2-0 in their first round matchup on Wednesday night in Morgantown. Rutgers took an early lead on two first-half goals and neutralized the Mountaineers attack to secure the victory. Sophomore Ibrahim Kamara (North Brunswick, N.J.) tallied his team-leading seventh goal in the first minute while freshman Dan Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.) added another score in the 31st minute for his second goal in as many games.

 

Saturday’s match marks the 10th time Rutgers will play a quarterfinal match in the BIG EAST Championship and fifth meeting against St. John’s in postseason play. The series in the conference tournament between RU and STJ stands at 1-1-2. It will be the 22nd matchup overall with St. John’s holding a 9-5-7 advantage all-time. The two teams met earlier this season with the Red Storm earning a 2-0 win at Belson Stadium.

 

“It’s a great rivalry,” said head coach Bob Reasso. “St. John’s is playing really well right now; they haven’t lost in 10 games. It’s going to be a challenge for us. It is without question one of the toughest places to play in the country. Not so much for the crowd but their FieldTurf is incredibly bouncy and I think their style of play adds to it. So it’s a very difficult place to play.

 

“The advantage is that we’ve played there this year so our guys won’t be surprised; they know what they’re getting into and we’re playing well right now. Getting a break and having a week off to rest, get healthy and prepare is probably a good thing for St. John’s and they may have an advantage there. But for us it’s also good to keep playing and keep the momentum going. We played well [against West Virginia] and I think guys are very excited to tee it up and play again.”

 

The Scarlet Knights have received balanced offensive production throughout the season with seven players combining for the squad’s 21 goals, while 11 different individuals have had a hand in RU’s 19 assists.

 

Kamara paces the squad with seven goals, followed by junior Yannick Salmon (Westbury, N.Y.) with six. The rookie Parr, junior Andrew Cuevas (Wayne, N.J.) and sophomore Nate Bourdeau (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) each have two goals, while three other Scarlet Knights combine for the remaining three tallies on the year.

 

Sophomore Bryant Knibbs (Pine Bush, N.Y.) has the team lead with four assists followed by Kamara, Bourdeau, and fellow sophomores David MacVane (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Nye Winslow (Piscataway, N.J.) and Robbie McLarney (Londonderry, N.H.) each with two. Five other Scarlet Knights have one assist on the season to round out RU’s total.

 

In goal for the Scarlet Knights is sophomore Alex Morgans (Jackson, N.J.) who posted his second shutout of the year in the team’s win over West Virginia, moving his overall record to 3-5.

 

St. John’s, which got off to a slow start at the beginning of the season with a 2-2-3 record in its first seven games, finished the regular-season on a 10-game unbeaten streak, going 5-0-5. The Red Storm are receiving votes in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national poll and ranked 18th in the Soccer America top 25 poll.

 

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Dave [Masur, St. John’s head coach],” said Reasso. “He’s a dear friend and a great coach. Going to St. John’s is definitely a big challenge for us. We’ve played a tough schedule, we’ve played a lot of big games on the road and I think it’s made our guys ready for this kind of match. We’re looking forward to it.”

 

STJ is led by Sverre Wegge Gundhus and Tadeu Terra who each have five goals on the year. Wegge Gundhus also has the team-lead with five assists, followed by Nelson Becerra who has four assists. Terra and Kyle Hoffer both tallied a goal in the team’s win over the Scarlet Knights on Oct. 7.

 

The semifinal and championship games of the BIG EAST Tournament will be held on Friday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 15, respectively, at Dick Dlesk Stadium on the campus of West Virginia.