Sport: Soccer Category: Scores & Results

Rutgers men’s soccer defeats No. 11 UCLA 3-1 in Big Ten opener

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 12, 2026, 2:30 AM

Last updated Sep 12, 2026

Rutgers men’s soccer defeats No. 11 UCLA 3-1 in Big Ten opener

Summary

Rutgers defeated No. 11 UCLA 3-1 on Friday night in Piscataway, New Jersey, during the Scarlet Knights’ Big Ten conference opener. Nick Collins, Erick Ruiz, and William Pierce provided the scoring for Rutgers, which entered the match having scored only five goals across its first five games. UCLA opened the scoring in the second minute through Zachary Neuls, but the Bruins failed to place any further shots on target for the remainder of the contest. Rutgers coach McElderry employed a lineup featuring five defenders and five midfielders, utilizing no forwards in the starting formation. Rafael Ponce de Leon earned the win in goal for Rutgers without needing to record a single save throughout the match. This result marks the end of a decade-long losing streak for Rutgers against the UCLA program.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Rutgers secured a 3-1 victory over No. 11 UCLA in the Big Ten conference opener.
•Nick Collins, Erick Ruiz, and William Pierce scored the three goals for the Scarlet Knights.
•Zachary Neuls recorded the lone goal for UCLA in the second minute of play.
•The Rutgers goalkeeper, Rafael Ponce de Leon, finished the match without a single save.
•Rutgers outshot UCLA in a performance that ended a decade of losses to the Bruins.

Latest Updates

2:30 AMYahoo Sports — Men’s Soccer Wins a Stunning Upset of No. 11 UCLA 3-1

What they're saying

"
Nick Collins, Erick Ruiz and William Pierce scored from a 5-5-0 that put five of seven shots on target, Rafael Ponce de Leon was not asked to make a save, and the Scarlet Knights opened Big Ten play by ending a decade of losses to the Bruins.
— Yahoo Sports

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