Field Hockey Hosts Iowa in Big Ten Conference Opener
Sep 18 | Field Hockey
Sunday, Sept. 21 - Piscataway, N.J., Noon ET
Rutgers (4-2) vs. No. 9 Iowa (4-2)
The Rutgers field hockey team took its first road trip of the season last weekend, travelling for road games at William & Mary and No. 9 Virginia. They Scarlet Knights earned a 1-1 record, downing the Tribe 3-2 on Friday night before taking a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Cavaliers Sunday. The Scarlet Knights are now 4-2 to begin the season. That start is the program's best since the 2008 season, and only the fourth time since 1999 that RU has won four of its first six games.
This weekend RU will play just one game for the first time this year, but it is a B1G game. The Scarlet Knights will play their first conference game as members of the Big Ten on Sunday afternoon, when they will host the Iowa Hawkeyes at noon. It will be the second straight game against a top-10 opponent, with the Hawkeyes currently sitting at No. 9 in the NFHCA National Poll, while UVA was at No. 9 last week.
The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free t-shirt commemorating the inaugural Big Ten game.
Quotable
"It's so exciting. I always want the players to be in a situation to be challenge and improved. The way this team is playing right now, this move is happening at the perfect time. We're right where we need to be. It looks like our team is peaking at the right time. Every time we've stepped on the field, we've gotten better. I'm really excited about hosting Iowa."
- Head Coach Meredith Long on the first Big Ten game
Iowa Notes
- The Hawkeyes have started the season at 4-2. The two losses came to teams currently ranked in the top 10 - No. 1 North Carolina and No. 8 Stanford. Iowa has wins over No. 11 Wake Forest, No. 6 Virginia, UC Davis, and Pacific.
- Lisa Cellucci is in her first season as the head coach after previously spending 14 years as an assistant on the Iowa staff.
- Natalie Cafone leads the Hawkeyes and the Big Ten Conference with nine goals and 20 points through six games.
- Goalkeeper Alexandra Pecora has a 1.95 goals against average and .714 save percentage.
Series History
These two squads have met five times previously, with Iowa winning four times and a 2-2 tie in 1984. The last meeting came in 1995, a 4-1 Hawkeye victory. All time, the Scarlet Knights are 14-51-6 versus Big Ten Conference opponents.
Walli, Walli, Walia
One of the team's biggest sources of offense this year has come from their top defender - sophomore Sofia Walia. She currently paces the team with 13 points and five assists, and is tied for the team lead with four goals. Walia's point totals put her in elite company among her Big Ten counterparts. Walia leads all Big Ten defenders in points and assists, and is one of just three defenders who leads their team in points. Her four goals this year are already a career high. Defensively, she is one of just three in the B1G with multiple defensive saves.
D-FENSE
In the overtime loss to UVA Sunday, the Scarlet Knights posted a strong defense wall against the
Virginia offense. Rutgers recorded four defensive saves in the game. The four defensive saves are tops in the Big Ten and places them seventh nationally.
Heart of a Champion
After scoring four goals as a sophomore, Katie Champion has already equlaed that mark in 2014. On the two-game road trip last weekend, she scored twice and added three assists for a seven-point weekend. For the season she is up to 12 points, a new 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 six 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 six RU games in goal, playing over 437 minutes in the cage and posting a
4-2 record, with a 2.88 goals against average and .700 save percentage. She averages seven saves
per game, the second best mark in the Big Ten.
Around the B1G
This Sunday's game represents the opening of the conference slate and welcomes RU into one of the toughest conferences in the nation. Of the nine field hockey schools in the Big Ten, seven of them are
ranked in the NFHCA Top 20: Maryland (2), Penn State (6), Iowa (9), Northwestern (15), Michigan State (16), Indiana (17) and Michigan (18).
Rutgers in the Big Ten
Amongst Big Ten competition, RU is:
- First in saves (46)
- First in defensive saves (4)
- Second in saves/game (7.67)
- Sofia Walia is 6th in points (13) and Katie Champion is 7th (12).
- Shevaun Hayes is tied for 1st in saves (42)
Rutgers in the NCAA Stats
Amongst the nations' leaders, RU is:
- Seventh in defensive saves (4)
- 13th in saves/game (7.67)
- 20th in goals/game (2.83)
- Sofia Walia is 15th in the NCAA with 0.83 assists/ game and 22nd with 2.17 points/game
- Shevaun Hayes is 14th with 7.0 saves/game. Her 12 saves vs. UVA is 2nd highest in a game this year.
- Katie Champion is 23rd with 0.67 ast/game and 24th with 2.00 points/game
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.
Challenging Schedule
The Scarlet Knights face eight teams that are currently in the NFHCA Top 20, and five that made the NCAA Tournament last season (Virginia, New Hampshire, Michigan State, Penn State, and Maryland). The squad plays 18 regular season games, including 11 at home and seven on the road.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (Rutgers Athletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers field hockey, follow the program on Facebook (Rutgers Field Hockey), Twitter (@RUFieldHockey) and Instagram (@RutgersFieldHockey). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
