Field Hockey Hosts Two this Weekend
Oct 02 | Field Hockey
GAME NOTES
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers field hockey will look to snap a recent streak of hard fought defeats when they return home for two home games this weekend. The Scarlet Knights are eager to snap a four-game losing streak that includes three one-goal games and two overtime contests. On Friday RU hosts its fifth consecutive ranked opponent when it welcomes No. 20 Michigan State to the Bauer Complex for a conference game. Sunday RU will face a non-conference foe when 2013 NCAA qualifier New Hampshire visits Piscataway.
Friday, Oct. 3 - Piscataway, N.J., 3 p.m. ET
Rutgers (4-5, 0-3) vs. No. 20 Michigan St. (5-4, 1-2)
Sunday, Oct. 5- Piscataway, N.J., 1 p.m. ET
Rutgers (4-5, 0-3) vs. New Hampshire (2-8)
Quotable
"We've worked extremely hard on a lot of pieces of our game this week. Our team is hungry for its first Big Ten win. I know they are ready for it. We need to just take advantage of our opportunities. We need to be aggressive in our front third and finish our opportunities early in the game to establish our momentum."
- Head Coach Meredith Long
Wear Black on Friday
For Friday night's game, fans are encouraged to 'Wear Black' to the game. There is also a ticket giveaway, with four tickets to Saturday's football game against Michigan being given away at halftime. Fans have one last chance to enter the drawing at the game against the Spartans, and must be present to win.
Michigan State Notes
- The Spartans are 5-4 on the year, and 1-2 in the Big Ten. They have played overtime in five games this season. They enter on a two game losing streak, falling last weekend at home to Penn State and Maryland.
- Senior Forward Abby Barker leads MSU with nine goals, seven assists, and 25 points. She is second in the B1G to Iowa's Natalie Cafone in points and goals. Allie Ahern has tallied six goals as well.
- In goal Sierra Patton has started all nine games with a 2.32 GAA and .728 save percentage. The Spartans are first in the Big Ten with 66 saves on the year.
Series History
This is will be the 10th all-time meeting between the Scarlet Knight and Spartans. Michigan State leads the all-time series 5-3-1, including wins in the last five matchups. Rutgers will be looking for its first win over MSU since 1989.
New Hampshire Notes
- After a 15-7 season in 2013 where UNH won the America East Championship and a NCAA bid, the Wildcats have started this year at 2-8, with wins over Drexel and Hofstra.
- The team has scored 18 goals in 10 games, with eight of them coming off the stick of Meg Flately. Lindsey Nerbonne is second with four goals.
- Between the pipes, Carlie Tarbell has all 10 starts, with a 2.49 GAA and .679 save percentage.
- Gianna Bensaia is the reigning America East Rookie of the Week, with two goals last Friday.
Series History
Rutgers holds a 3-1 leads in the lifetime series between the schools, though UNH won the last meeting, 2-1 in overtime in 2011.
Heart of a Champion
After scoring four goals as a sophomore, Katie Champion has already equaled that mark in 2014. For the season she is up to 12 points, a new career high.
Walli, Walli, Walia
Sophomore defender Sofia Walia currently paces the team with 13 points and five assists, and is tied for the team lead with four goals. Her four goals this year are already a career high.
Keeping up with the Leaders
Matching Walia and Champion with four goals and the three-way team lead is junior Nicole Imbriaco. After two goals in her first two seasons, she has scored in four of the seven games thus far this year, including a three-game streak from Sept. 5-12. Her eight points this year is a new career high. She has also scored on all four shots that she has put on net .
Between the Pipes
Shevaun Hayes has started all nine RU games in goal, playing over 662 minutes in the cage and posting a 4-5 record, with a 2.54 goals against average and .707 save percentage. She averages 6.44 saves per game, the third best mark in the Big Ten.
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 three in the top 10: Maryland (2), Iowa (7), Penn State (9), Northwestern (11), Michigan (15), and Michigan State (20)
RPI
The second edition of the NCAA field hockey RPI of the season is now available. Rutgers checks in at 22, which is the sixth best in the Big Ten.
Rutgers in the Big Ten
Amongst Big Ten competition, RU is:
- First in defensive saves (6)
- Third in saves (64)
- Third in saves/game (7.11)
Rutgers in the NCAA Stats
Amongst the nations' leaders, RU is:
- Eighth in defensive saves (8)
- 15th in saves/game (7.11)
- 32nd in save percentage (.727)
- Shevaun Hayes is 19th in the nation in saves/game (6.44).
What to Watch for
- Katie Champion's next goal will set a new career-high
- Shevaun Hayes' next win will set a new career-high
- Jenn Staab's next point will tie her career-high
Rutgers Leaders
Goals: Champion/Imbriaco/Walia - 4
Assists: Walia - 5
Points: Walia - 13
Saves: Hayes - 58
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.
B1G Players to Watch
Rutgers' three captains (Sophie Wright, Jenn Staab, and Alyssa Bull) were all recognized as Preseason Players to Watch by the Big Ten Conference.
