PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers field hockey returns to the road this weekend for Big Ten play, as they will look to regain their winning ways with two matchups in East Lansing, Michigan. The Scarlet Knights will face Michigan State on Friday at 3 p.m., and then play Ohio in a neutral site game on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

RU, holding a 5-4 record on the year, is seeking to halt a two-game losing streak, after taking loses to No. 14 Northwestern and No. 18 Michigan last weekend. Nicole Imbriaco continues to pace the squad offensively, with a career-best 10 goals and 22 points. She is in the top-two in the conference and top-six nationally in both goals per game (1.11) and points per game (2.44). Beyond Imbriaco, RU has gotten balanced secondary scoring, as six player have multiple-goals through nine games. Katie Champion has four tallies, followed by Rachel Yaney, Alyssa Bull and Devon Freshnock with three goals, and Sofia Walia and Caitlin Nitschmann with two goals apiece.

Defensively, RU has established four strong backs with Carly Hawkins, Elyse Broderick, Sofia Walia, and Devon Freshnock. Hawkins and Broderick have provided a solid defensive presence, while Walia (two goals, two assists) and Freshnock (three goals, three assists) have added a spark on the offensive end, especially on penalty corners.

Michigan State currently holds a 3-7 record, and a 0-3 mark in conference play. The team is on a five-game losing streak, and holds a 1-4 record at home this year. Megan Fenton leads the team in scoring with five goals for 10 points, while Sierra Patton has a 2.84 goals-against-average and .634 save percentage between the pipes. The Spartans were 10-9 last season, and won double-digit games each of the last three years.

Last year the Scarlet Knights lost in a tight contest against the then-No. 20 Spartans in a home matchup, 3-2. Rutgers scored first in the game, and got goals from Sofia Walia and Katie Champion in the game, but three Michigan State goals in an eight minute span of the first half sealed the game for MSU. Rutgers has faced Michigan State 11 times lifetime, and MSU leads the all-time series 6-3-1, and on a six-game winning streak. The last RU victory over Michigan State came in 1989.

Ohio enters the weekend at 4-4. The Bobcats, who are at Central Michigan on Friday, have played Rutgers just twice previously. The series is knotted at 1-1, with RU winning the last contest, a 1-0 decision in 2010. Maria Russell leads the squad with eight goals and 17 points, while Clarissa Leickly has three goals and four assists. Lina Trucco has a 2.65 goals-against-average and a .667 save percentage in net.