Field Hockey Takes First B1G Road Trip
Sep 25 | Field Hockey
GAME NOTES
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers enters the heart of Big Ten play, taking its first conference road trip to a pair of league foes. After dropping its inaugural Big Ten match to Iowa last weekend, RU heads west for a pair of games against ranked foes in No. 13 Northwestern and No. 14 Michigan. Rutgers defense will be tested against two of the top scoring teams in the conference.
Friday, Sept. 26 - Evanston, Ill., 4 p.m. ET
Rutgers (4-3, 0-1) vs. No. 13 Northwestern (6-3, 1-0)
Sunday, Sept. 28 - Ann Arbor, Mich., 1 p.m. ET
Rutgers (4-3) vs. No. 14 Michigan (6-2, 1-0)
TV: BTN Plus
"This is a really important conference weekend for us," head coach Meredith Long said. "This is the first time this group has ever had back-to-back conference games, so that's going to be a challenge in itself. These are two huge games for us. We need to come away with a win this weekend. That's the team's mentality and mindset. It's one game at a time. Northwestern is first, we'll get after them Friday, then re-set and get ready for Michigan on Sunday."
Northwestern Notes
- The Wildcats have started the season at 6-3. All of the losses have come against ranked teams: No. 3 UConn (3-2 in OT), No. 15 Louisville (1-0) and No. 10 Wake Forest (1-0). Northwestern also scored wins against No. 20 James Madison (2-1 in OT) and No. 2 Maryland (3-2).
- The Wildcats boast the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Kelley Stump) and
Defensive Player of the Week (Maddy Carpenter). Both players had key roles in the upset
of the No. 2 Terrapins.
- Northwestern leads the Big Ten with 29 goals in nine games, and average of 3.22/game.
- Isabel Flens leads the Wildcats with seven goals and five assists for 19 points.
Series History
This is the first ever meeting of the two squads. The Wildcats are the only opponent in the Big Ten that Rutgers have never faced.
Michigan Notes
- The Wolverines are 6-2, winning their last six games after opening the season 0-2 with losses to No. 2 North Carolina and No. 11 Wake Forest. They opened conference play with a 3-2 overtime win at No. 6 Penn State.
- Michigan averages 3.45 goals/game (28 goals in eight games), the best mark in the B1G.
- Leslie Smith leads the team with 14 points (6 goals, 2 assists). Ainsley McCallister is tied
for first in the B1G with nine assists.
- In goal Sam Swenson is 5-1 with a 1.10 goals against average and .731 save percentage..
Series History
Rutgers and Michigan have played twice, with the Wolverines taking both games, the most recent coming in 2000.
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
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. Her four goals this year are already a career high. Defensively, she is one of just four in the B1G with multiple defensive saves.
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 seven RU games in goal, playing over 507 minutes in the cage and posting a 4-3 record, with a 2.90 goals against average and .724 save percentage. She averages 7.14 saves per game, the second best mark in the Big Ten. In her next game she will set a new career high for minutes played.
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, seven of them are ranked in the NFHCA Top 20: Maryland (4), Penn State (7), Iowa (8), Northwestern (13), Michigan (14), Indiana (17) and Michigan State
(18)
RPI
The first NCAA field hockey RPI of the season is now available. Rutgers checks in at 17, which is the fifth best in the Big Ten.
Rutgers in the Big Ten
Amongst Big Ten competition, RU is:
- First in saves (55)
- First in defensive saves (5)
- First in saves/game (7.86)
- Fourth in goals off corners (3)
Rutgers in the NCAA Stats
Amongst the nations' leaders, RU is:
- Fifth in defensive saves (5)
- 13th in saves/game (7.86)
- 25th in goals/game (2.43)
- Sofia Walia is 15th in the NCAA with 0.83 assists/game and 16th with 2.17 points/game
What to Watch for
- Katie Champion's next goal will set a new career-high
- Shevaunn Hayes' next win will set a new career-high
- Jenn Staab's next point will tie her career-high
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.
