Aug. 27, 2015
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers field hockey season has arrived, as the Scarlet Knights will host two home games this weekend to kick off the 2015 campaign. RU will welcome Bucknell for the opener Friday before hosting Ball State Saturday.
"These two games will present two different styles, two different types of hockey," head coach Meredith Civico commented. "That will be good preparation for us at the start of the season."
The Scarlet Knights will begin their second season as members of the Big Ten Conference with a fairly experienced roster. Rutgers graduated just two seniors from last year's squad, returning 18 letterwinners and bringing back 85 percent of its goal scoring from last season.
The top four scorers from last season return: Katie Champion (10 goals, six assists), Sofia Walia (seven goals, six assists), Nicole Imbriaco (five goals), and Rachel Yaney (four goals, one assist). Other key returners include captains Alyssa Bull and Ali Stever, starting defenders Elyse Broderick and Devon Freshnock and starting goalkeeper Shevaun Hayes.
Friday's game will be dedicated to Rutgers field hockey superfan Jeff Bareset, while Saturday's game will be a Red Out, with fans encouraged to wear red to the game. Beginning this weekend fans can enter a ticket giveaway for tickets to the Maryland football game.
Scouting Bucknell
Bucknell went 13-6 last season and was undefeated in the Patriot League regular season. They advanced to the league's conference's championship game, but fell one game short of a NCAA Tournament appearance. Midfielder Amy Murcelli and defender Anna Willis were named Preseason All-Patriot League.
The Series
The Scarlet Knights lead the all-time series against the Bison, 6-1, and hold a 4-1 edge in the matchups held consecutively since 2010. Last season Rutgers also opened the season with a home contest against Bucknell, earning a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory. Sofia Walia set her career high with four points (one goal, two assists) in the game. Rutgers' last two victories in the series have taken overtime, dating back to a 4-3 OT win in 2012.
"Bucknell is always a good game," Civico said. "They're a team that is well coached. They generally have good structure. They play more of a possession style, which we play well against. It will be a good game. They're always a challenge for us. It's always a good test beginning of the season."
Scouting Ball State
Ball State finished 5-11 for the 2014 season. Sally Northcroft, a former two-time MAC Player of the Year for BSU as a player, took over as head coach in February. The Cardinals mix 15 returners with seven newcomers for this season. The game Saturday will be the season opener for Ball State.
The Series
Rutgers holds a 3-1 edge in the all-time series, with three wins in the 1980s, and Ball State won the last contest between the programs with a 4-3 overtime victory in 2000.
"Ball State is a bit of an unknown," Civico said. "They have a new coach, a former player of theirs who came back. They'll be interesting. I expect them to play with a lot of energy and come out fighting. They're a team that wants to prove something and are trying to build their program back up."
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