Field Hockey faces two top-five foes on the road
Oct 15 | Field Hockey
Game Notes (PDF) 
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers got a B1G win last weekend, downing Ohio State on Friday afternoon for the first ever Big Ten Conference victory in program history. The Scarlet Knights were unable to continue the momentum on Sunday, failing to extend its winning streak to three games by taking a road loss at Monmouth. This weekend, they will take a big road trip to two top-five foes, No. 5 Penn State and No. 2 Maryland. Friday's game will be televised by the Big Ten Network, the first ever appearance by the program on BTN. Sunday's game will be available on BTN Plus.
Friday, Oct. 17 - University Park, Pa., 3:30 p.m. ET
Rutgers (6-7, 1-4) vs. No. 5 Penn State (11-3, 2-2)
Penn State Field Hockey Complex
Penn State leads all-time series 13-4-3
Big Ten Network (Announcers: Dan Kelly and Kara Lentz)
Sunday, Oct. 19 - College Park, Md., 1 p.m. ET
Rutgers (6-7,1-4) vs. No. 2 Maryland (11-2, 4-1)
Maryland Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex
Maryland leads all-time series 25-3-1
BTN Plus
Live Stats
Quotable
"This weekend is crucial, going into possibly the Big Ten Tournament, seeing these teams and competing against these teams at this stage in our season. Things are really coming together for us and we're starting to peak. We have another level and another brand of field hockey that we have yet to play, and I'm looking forward to seeing that this weekend."
Head Coach Meredith Long
Penn State Notes
- Penn State sits at 11-3, with a 2-2 league mark. They defeated Bucknell 4-1 on Tuesday night.
- Taylor Herold leads the team and is second in the Big Ten with 14 goals. Jenna Chrismer has 8 goals while Laura Gebhart, who had a hat trick Tuesday, has 7 goals.
- The Nittany Lions have won the past two Big Ten titles.
- Charlene Morett-Curtiss is the longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten, in her 28th year at PSU.
Series History
The Nittany Lions lead the all-time series 13-4-3. The teams played each year from 1977 to 1993, but have not played since. Rutgers defeated Penn State 3-0 in the 1984 NCAA Tournament during one of the best seasons in program history, when the team won a school record 15 games. It was the first ever NCAA Tournament victory for Rutgers field hockey. Rutgers last win over PSU was in 1985, with Penn State winning the last seven games.
Maryland Notes
- Entering a game Wednesday against Penn, the Terps had won six straight games over the past three weeks.
- Maryland at No. 2 in the polls is the highest ranked team RU has faced since No. 2 Syracuse in 2012.
- Maryland has been ranked in the top five for the past 17 weeks.
Series History
The Terrapins hold a 25-3-1 lead in the all-time series. Rutgers last win against Maryland was a 4-3 win in 1998, with the Terrapins taking the last eight matchups.
One-Goal Games
One defining feature of Rutgers' season has been the closeness of each game. RU has played 13 games, and 10 of them have been determined by one-goal, including the last six games. This is the third straight year that Rutgers has played at least 10 games determined by just one goal, with the school record being 15 such games in 1982.
Heart of a Champion
Katie Champion currently paces the Scarlet Knights, with a team-high eight goals and 21 points. She is also second on the squad with five assists. The junior has shown a knack for scoring in bunches, with three multi-goal games this year.
Walli, Walli, Walia
Sophomore defender Sofia Walia is a vital player for the Scarlet Knights on both ends of the field. In addition to her role in the backfield, she has shown a scoring touch. In 10 games this year she has six goals and 18 points, both second on the team, with a team-best six assists.
O' Captain, My Captain
Rutgers' three captains (Sophie Wright, Jenn Staab, and Alyssa Bull) were all recognized as Preseason Players to Watch by the Big Ten Conference, and have been key players on and off the field. Their contributions go beyond the score sheet (where Wright has three goals and two assists and Bull has two goals and an assist). All three play a large share of the minutes and are key to the team's success.
Between the Pipes
Shevaun Hayes has started all 13 RU games in goal, playing over 941 minutes in the cage and posting a 6-7 record, with a 2.45 goals against average and .692 save percentage. The six wins on the year represent a new career high. She averages 5.69 saves per game with 74 on the year, the third best mark in the Big Ten, and is now over 100 saves for her career.
Yaney Looks to Break Out
Sophomore Rachel Yaney was RU's second leading scorer in 2013 with five goals. Her scoring touch was later to come around this season. Last weekend she had the first assist of her career on the game-winning goal in the Ohio State win, then scored her second goal of the year at Monmouth. It was the first time in her career that she had consecutive games with points.
Around the B1G
The Big Ten is one of the toughest conferences in the nation. Of the nine field hockey schools in the Big Ten, six of them are ranked in the NFHCA Top 20, including four in the top 10: Maryland (2), Penn State (5), Northwestern (9), Iowa (12), Michigan (14), and Indiana (18).
RPI
The fourth edition of the NCAA field hockey RPI of the season is now available. Rutgers checks in at 28, which is the second highest of any team with a record below .500.
Rutgers in the Big Ten
Amongst Big Ten competition, RU is:
- Second in defensive saves (7)
- Third in saves (81)
- Fourth in saves/game (6.23)
Rutgers in the NCAA Stats
Amongst the nations' leaders, RU is:
- Eighth in defensive saves (7)
- 25th in saves/game (6.23)
- 39th in assists/game (1.77)
- 40th in save percentage (.711)
- 41st in goals/game (2.08)
- Shevaun Hayes is 23rd in the nation in saves/game (5.69).
- Elyse Broderick is 13th with three defensive saves.
What to Watch for
- Sophie Wright (18 career goals) needs two goals to break into the top-10 all time at Rutgers.
- Jenn Staab's next point will tie her career-high.
- Ali Stever's next assist will set a new career-high.
B1G Year
This year is the inaugural season for Rutgers as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Scarlet Knights had previously played in the BIG EAST since the 1995 season, after playing the sport in the Atlantic 10 from 1988-1995.
Social Media
There are three main outlets to follow Rutgers field hockey on social media.
Twitter: @RUFieldHockey
Instagram: @rutgersfieldhockey
Facebook: Facebook.com/RUFieldHockey
