BLOOMINGTON, IN – With less than 24 hours to prepare following a 0-0, double-overtime tie with top-ranked Indiana, the Rutgers University men’s soccer team fell to unranked Butler, 3-0, in its final game of the adidas/IU Credit Union Soccer Classic at Armstrong Stadium. Butler scored three times in the first half and held off the Scarlet Knights, who fell to 0-1-1 on the season. Butler improved to 1-1-0.

Rutgers opened the contest flat and Butler, the defending Horizon League champions, took advantage. It struck in the 15th minute, as Maris Calto scored at the 14:32 mark for a 1-0 lead. Then, at the 26:01 mark, Butler struck again and just three minutes later, extended its lead to 3-0. Chance Ernst scored the second goal and last year’s top scorer, Nick Pantazi, netted the third. In the second half, Rutgers dominated play and spent the majority of play on the offensive, but it could not convert.

Rutgers led Butler in both shots (22-12) and corner kicks (7-1), but couldn’t put the ball past BU goalkeeper Grant Bernie, who recorded seven saves in the shutout win. Senior Ricky Zinter (Penfield, NY) saved four for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers has played its last three matches, dating back to the NCAA Tournament on December 2, 2001, at Armstrong Stadium and has failed to score in 290 minutes of action. Rutgers also played without key defender David Boutilier (Sparta, NJ), who aggravated a hamstring injury in the Indiana contest.

Two Rutgers players earned All-Tournament honors, as junior Josh Gros (Mechanicsburg, PA) and senior Guy Abrahamson (Livingston, NJ) were named to the team.

Rutgers is idle until next Saturday, September 7, when it travels to Providence, RI to face Providence College in its BIG EAST opener.