Rutgers Makes First Home Appearances This Weekend
Sep 07 | Field Hockey
PISCATAWAY, NJ - The Rutgers field hockey team (2-3) plays its first home contests of the season this weekend, hosting No. 17 William & Mary (4-0) Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Delaware (2-2) Sunday, Sept. 10, at 1:00 p.m. at the RU Stadium Complex.
After playing their first five games away from home, the Scarlet Knights are 2-3 this season, most recently falling to No. 6 American (3-2) 2-0 Sept. 3 at the Temple Invitational. Rutgers held the Eagles scoreless for more than 50 minutes, led by the stellar play of junior Rosalyn Wentko (Dallas, PA), who made a career-high 13 saves and was named to the BIG EAST Conference Honor Roll Sept. 4 for her efforts.
Freshman Kristen Johnson (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY) leads the Scarlet Knights with 13 points (four goals, five assists). She currently is tied with teammate Corinne Bach (Moorestown, NJ) for the BIG EAST lead in assists (1.00 apg). Sophomore Amy Lewis (Hainesport, NJ), who was named to the BIG EAST Conference Honor Roll Aug. 28 following a six-goal performance in Rutgers' first two games, is fourth in the league in points per game (2.40 ppg) behind Johnson's 2.60 ppg. Junior Catherine Badoloto (Berlin, NJ) has added two goals and one assist for RU, while Wentko has posted a 2.94 goals-against average and .789 save percentage, ranking second in the BIG EAST with 6.00 saves per game.
Rutgers returned 11 letterwinners and seven starters from a 2005 team that posted a 7-12 overall record and a 0-5 mark in BIG EAST play. Fourth-year head coach Liz Tchou has also welcomed a 10-member recruiting class to "the Banks" this fall. Seven of last year's top eight scorers are included on the 2006 roster.
William & Mary is 4-0 this season, most recently defeating Radford 2-0 Sept. 3. The Tribe is ranked 17th in the STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Coaches Poll of Sept. 4, their highest rating since the end of the 2004 season (15th). Senior Gina Cimarelli, a selection to the womensfieldhockey.com National Honor Roll Aug. 29, leads the Tribe with 11 points (five goals, one assist), including three game-winning scores. William & Mary has allowed just four goals in its first four games, and has registered shutouts in its last two outings. The Tribe returned 16 letterwinners and six starters from their 10-11 team of a year ago, finishing first in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 4-4 record.
Delaware is 2-2 this season, playing three ranked opponents in its first four contests. The Blue Hens upset No. 16 Michigan State 5-4 in the season opener Aug. 26, and most recently defeated Syracuse 4-3 in a shootout Sept. 3 at the Blue Hen Classic. Senior Katie Evans leads Delaware with seven points (two goals, three assists), while classmate Stephanie Swain has registered six points (two goals, two assists). Senior Megan Allen owns a 5.33 goals-against average and a .600 save percentage in goal.
RU is 3-0 all time against William & Mary, and 6-16-3 (.300) against Delaware. The last time Rutgers faced William & Mary was Sept. 5, 2004, a 4-3 overtime victory for the Scarlet Knights in Williamsburg, VA. The Blue Hens have won their last six games against RU, including a 4-1 decision last fall in Newark, DE (Sept. 9).
Rutgers will finish a four-game homestand next weekend, hosting Syracuse Friday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Albany Sunday, Sept. 17, at 12:00 p.m.
