Tag: Rutgers field hockey

Rutgers field hockey adds Indiana transfer Maddie Olshemski

Rutgers field hockey added a quality transfer this week.

As the field hockey season inches closer by the day, Rutgers has been busy improving their roster. On Tuesday, Rutgers announced that Maddie Olshemski is joining the team as a transfer after one year at Indiana.

While her experience is limited, Olshemski brings versatility to Piscataway.
During the 2023 campaign, Olshemski appeared in 11 games and recorded four shots. Her only start came at Duke in the season opener. Before college, the Pennsylvania native was a highly regarded recruit.

Additionally, Olshemski was named to USA Field Hockey’s U-21 Junior Women’s National Team Selection Camp. She was also at the USA U-19 Rise Selection Camp and played with Team USA three times at the Nexus Championship.

 

Due to her experience, many at Rutgers are excited about the impact that Olshemski will make. That includes head coach Meredith Civico.

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“We are thrilled to welcome Maddie to the Rutgers Field Hockey family,” Civico told Rutgers athletics. “She is a focused and driven athlete who has a clear desire to grow, to learn and to be the very best she can be. We are excited to see her contribution to the team and couldn’t be happier that she is a Scarlet Knight.”

Although her Rutgers debut is still months away, success seems to be following Olshemski. During her prep career at Wyoming Seminary, the Blue Knights won three PIAA Class 2A State Championships and three district titles.

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She will be looking to continue adding championships to her resume as a Scarlet Knight.

No. 3 Rutgers field hockey drops season finale to No. 8 Iowa

With their loss to Iowa, Rutgers finished the season with a 15-2 (6-2 Big Ten) record, entering the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

On Friday, No. 3 Rutgers field hockey (15-2, 6-2) dropped their final regular season game to No. 8 Iowa (13-4, 4-4) 7-2. With their loss to the Hawkeyes, the Scarlet Knights finished the regular season with a 15-2 record and a 6-2 conference record, entering the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

In their season finale, junior Paulina Niklaus and graduate student Marique Dieudonne recorded goals on 12 of the Scarlet Knights’ shots. Niklaus has recorded back-to-back goals in her last two games, registering two on the season. Dieudonne’s goal marks the sixth of the season, tying for third on the team with senior Bridy Molyneaux.

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Rutgers goalkeeper and captain Sophia Howard allowed seven goals on 12 Hawkeyes’ attempts. Howard finished the regular season with a 75.8 save percentage with five shutouts.

The Scarlet Knights kick off the Big Ten Tournament against the No. 7 seed and defending champions, the Michigan Wolverines, on Thursday at Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The single-elimination tournament will run from November 2 to November 5, with games one through three taking place on Thursday and games four and five being on Friday.

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No. 4 Rutgers field hockey went 1-1 over the weekend

No. 4 Rutgers field hockey completed their weekend action with a 1-1 record, beating Indiana 4-2 and losing to No. 1 Northwestern 2-1.

On Sunday, No. 4 Rutgers field hockey (15-1, 6-1) received their first loss of the season, losing to No. 1 Northwestern (15-1, 7-0) 2-1. With their loss on Sunday, the Scarlet Knights completed their weekend action with a 1-1 record.

The Scarlet Knights started their weekend action on Friday with a 4-2 victory over Indiana (5-11, 0-6). Rutgers outshot the Hoosiers 18-7, with Guillermina Causarano (1), Puck Winter (1), Marique Dieudonne (1), and Bridy Molyneux (1) recording goals. Rutgers captain and goalkeeper Sophia Howard saved five of seven shots on goal, securing the Scarlet Knights victory.

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Rutgers finished their weekend action on Sunday with a heartbreaking loss to Northwestern in a penalty shootout. The Scarlet Knights are now 29-19 in the Big Ten over the past six seasons and are 20-11 in the Big Ten Conference during the regular season conference games since the spring 2021 season.

 

Rutgers junior Paulina Niklaus scored the only goal for the Scarlet Knights, recording her first goal of the season. Also, Niklaus’s goal was the first goal allowed by Northwestern since mid-September, breaking a streak of six consecutive shutouts. The Wildcats outshot the Scarlet Knights 11-6, with Howard recording nine saves.

The Scarlet Knights held a 1-0 lead through three quarters, but the Wildcats regained momentum with 11 shots to zero for RU in the second half and through the first overtime. With Northwestern’s thrilling victory, the Wildcats won their 15th straight game and remain the No. 1 seed in the country.

Rutgers field hockey is back in action on Friday (October 27) when they head to Iowa to play the No.5 Hawkeyes for their last remaining regular season game.

 

Rutgers is ranked No. 4 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll

After a victory over Michigan State, Rutgers field hockey is ranked No. 4 in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll.

After their Sunday 3-1 victory over Michigan State, Rutgers field hockey is ranked No. 4 in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association Poll. The 14-0 (4-0 Big Ten) Scarlet Knights have climbed the ladder, receiving seven first-place votes, the second most of any team.

According to the NCAA Field Hockey RPI Poll, the Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 5, behind No. 4 Virginia, No. 3 Northwestern, No. 2 Duke, and No. 1 North Carolina. Throughout their 14 games, the Scarlet Knights have defeated seven ranked opponents and are the last undefeated team in the nation.

Rutgers has three games remaining on their regular season schedule before the Big Ten Championship begins, as the Scarlet Knights prepare to face Indiana (October 20), No. 1 Northwestern (October 22), and No. 5 Iowa (October 27).

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After their weekend performance, the Scarlet Knights are ranked nationally No. 3 in save percentage (.826), No. 5 in defensive saves (7), No. 37 in goals per game (2.14), No. 34 in points per game (6.00), No. 11 in shutouts per game (5), and No. 1 in winning percentage.

The Scarlet Knights are led by team captains Guillermina Causarano and Sophia Howard. Howard is ranked No. 5 in the nation with a .806 save percentage, and Causarano leads the Scarlet Knights in goals with 11. Also, Rutgers sophomore center-back Puck Winter is ranked No. 2 in the nation with seven defensive saves.

Rutgers field hockey returns to action on Friday, October 20, as they host the Indiana Hoosiers.

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Rutgers field hockey’s Puck Winter earns Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week

For her performance over the weekend, Rutgers redshirt sophomore Puck Winter earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Over the weekend, Rutgers field hockey captured two more victories, defeating No. 9 Ohio State 1-0 and Michigan State 3-1, improving their record to 14-0 and 5-0 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights now have the best record in the NCAA at 14-0 and are tied for first in the Big Ten at 5-0.

For her performance over the weekend, Rutgers redshirt sophomore Puck Winter earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Deventer, Netherlands, native had two defensive saves with a save in each game, leading to the Scarlet Knights 2-0 road weekend. While playing center back, Winter has allowed just one goal in 140 minutes of field hockey.

Winter has anchored the Rutgers defense, recording 1384 minutes through 14 games this season. Winter has recorded seven goals (three game-winners), 14 points, and 23 shots on goal in her second year with the Scarlet Knights. Winter’s three game-winning goals rank her No. 7 in the Big Ten Conference.

 

After her victory against Michigan State, Winter has recorded seven defensive saves, which ranks her No. 1 in the Big Ten, second most in the nation. Also, Winter has five more defensive saves than anyone else in the Big Ten.

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The Scarlet Knights have been recognized throughout the season, with three players earning Big Ten Player of the Week awards. Winter joins team captains Guillermina Causarano (Offensive, twice) and Sophia Howard (Defense) with Big Ten Player of the Week honors.

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Undefeated, Rutgers field hockey makes another move up the NFHCA rankings this week

Rutgers field hockey makes a move in the NFHCA rankings.

Rutgers field hockey moved up two spots in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings. This move follows a weekend where Rutgers improved to 12-0 following two wins.

Now fourth in the nation in this week’s NFHCA rankings, Rutgers is coming off a Friday win over then No. 16 Michigan and then a 4-2 win over Monmouth on Sunday. The win over Michigan marked a sixth win over a ranked opponent this year for the Scarlet Knights.

They have one win over a top-10 opponent this year, having beaten Maryland two weeks ago at home.

They are the second-highest-ranked team this week from the Big Ten, trailing No. 1 Northwestern. The Wildcats were second in the nation last week but moved up following North Carolina’s loss.

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This week, Rutgers plays at No. 9 Ohio State on Friday then at Michigan State on Sunday.

Rutgers is sixth nationally in the NCAA RPI update this week.

They’re No. 1? Rutgers field hockey remains undefeated with a weekend sweep

Rutgers field hockey got two more wins this weekend.

Rutgers field hockey is the only Division I program in the nation without a loss, improving to a 12-0 record with a weekend sweep of two opponents.

On Sunday, the Scarlet Knights beat Monmouth 4-2, putting together a comprehensive home win. Two days prior, Rutgers beat No. 16 Michigan in overtime.

After the weekend sweep, Rutgers is 12-0 and 3-0 in the Big Ten. They were ranked sixth in the nation coming into this weekend.

The Scarlet Knights are making a legitimate case to be the top team in the nation when the NFHCA poll comes out this week. Rutgers is the only team in Division I field hockey without a loss.

They received four first-place votes last week.

Six of their wins have come against ranked opponents and one win came over a top-10 opponent (two weeks ago again then No. 8 Maryland).

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Rutgers is one of five Big Ten teams ranked in the top 10 of the NFHCA poll.

Their next fixture comes on Friday at No. 7 Ohio State.

Is Rutgers a field hockey school? Scarlet Knights grab fourth win over a ranked team this season

No. 6 Rutgers field hockey stays unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over No. 8 Maryland. The Scarlet Knights improved to 10-0 on the season.

On Thursday, No. 6 Rutgers field hockey continued their strong start to the season with a 3-2 victory over No. 8 Maryland. The Scarlet Knights improved to 10-0 (2-0 Big Ten) with their fifth and highest-ranked victory this season.

For Rutgers, it was their first win over a top 10 school?

Rutgers’ tenth victory came thrillingly when the Scarlet Knights defeated the Terps in a shootout, scoring on three of its first four attempts while halting Maryland on three of their four shots.

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Rutgers junior Julianne Kopec and Guillermina Causarano scored goals in the game, with the Scarlet Knights winning the shot advantage 18-11 against the Terps. Kopec and Causarano have combined for ten Scarlet Knights goals this season.

 

Rutgers redshirt junior Sophia Howard recorded four saves in the net, logging 35 saves in ten games. Howard has registered a 79.5 save percentage through ten games, ranking third in the Big Ten Conference.

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In just the second home game of the season, the Scarlet Knights captured secured their twelfth top-10 win since the spring 2021 season. Also, it is their second straight season with a 2-0 start.

This is now the fourth time since 2018 that Rutgers has 10 wins in a season. Before that time, Rutgers had only won 10 games once in their previous 18 seasons.

Rutgers will get some home cooking for a little bit. Next week, they will host No. 15 Michigan (Friday, 3 p.m.) and Monmouth (Sunday, 1 p.m.).

 

 

Rutgers field hockey is ranked seventh in this week’s Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll

Rutgers field hockey moves up in the latest poll.

During the first month of the college field hockey season, Rutgers have been one of the best teams in the country. They have gotten off to an 8-0 start and only allowed five goals. Due to their success, Rutgers is already getting some national attention.

In Tuesday’s Penn Monto/ NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, Rutgers was ranked seventh. The rankings comprise the top 20 teams with a .500 or better record in the nation each week. This week’s ranking represented the second time Rutgers has earned a top ten ranking, moving up three spots.

While the season is far from over, the Scarlet Knights have been unbeatable. Last week, they faced No. 12 Penn State and La Salle and recorded back-to-back shutouts. They have been led by Sophia Howard, who has recorded four shutouts, and Puck Winter, who has 14 points.

As Rutgers looks to build on their success, they will aim to climb even higher in the Penn Monto/ NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll. The only other Big Ten teams ranked ahead of them are Northwestern and Iowa. Over their next three games, the Scarlet Knights will get a perfect opportunity to prove themselves as they are set to face ranked teams in Umass, Maryland, and Michigan.

Regardless of the outcomes, Tuesday provided a reminder of how far the program has come.

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.