Sophia Howard named Big Ten Defensive Player of the week

Rutgers field hockey gets a weekly honor from the Big Ten.

Fewer goalkeepers have been better through the first few weeks of the field hockey season than Rutgers Sophia Howard. The Australian native has posted a 7-0 record and led the Scarlet Knights to an 8-0 start. Last week, her impressive play continued as Howard was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

Howard recorded back-to-back shutouts as Rutgers beat No. 12 Penn State and La Salle. Against the Nittany Lions, she made seven saves, her second-highest total of the season. Howard also became the first goalkeeper to post a shutout against Penn State during the 2023 campaign.

Additionally, against La Salle, Howard only made one save, but she recorded her fourth shutout of her junior campaign. It was the first time in eight games that La Salle had been held scoreless all season.

 

Following her stellar week, Howard leads the Big Ten with a save percentage of .848. She is also third in the country and conference with a goals-against-average of 0.56. In her fourth year as a Scarlet Knight, Howard has taken her game to another level.

As the fall season continues, Howard will be a player to watch. She is only one win and shutout short of tying her career high with nine games left on the schedule before the Big Ten Tournament. As long as her recent play continues, the Scarlet Knights will be in good hands.