Game Notes

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PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers enters its second weekend of Big Ten competition this Friday when they host No. 6 Northwestern to start a four-game homestand. The Scarlet Knights were 1-1 last week in their entry to league play.

Friday's game is a 2:30 p.m. start. Rutgers is dedicating Friday's game against Northwestern to the memory of Chuck Staab, beloved father of alumni Jenn Staab, and forever friend of Rutgers Field Hockey. Chuck passed away in July 2016 after a courageous battle with ALS. The Chuck Staab Memorial Foundation, created in his honor, is a non-traditional educational foundation dedicated to providing scholastic, athletic, and artistic opportunities to under-served and deserving young people in the Southern Jersey Community. If you would like to participate and receive the Foundation's yearly newsletter, which contains updates on the Foundation and its activities please contact: chuckstaabmemorialscholarship@gmail.com.

The weekend started at Indiana, a tightly contested game on Big Ten Network that saw the Hoosiers sneak away with a 3-2 victory. The Scarlet Knights got goals in that game from senior captain Alyssa Bull and freshman Nikki Santore, and controlled play in the second half, but were unable to find a late equalizer. Sunday, the road trip continued at Iowa, where the Scarlet Knights earned one of the biggest wins in program history, knocking off the No. 15 Hawkeyes, 2-1. Sophomore Linde van Schaik scored both goals in the first half, and RU held Iowa, who entered the game averaging 3.9 goals per game, to just one to preserve the win. The victory was Rutgers' first ranked win since Oct. 6, 2013 (a 1-0 win over No. 16 Drexel) and it was the highest ranked team that the Scarlet Knights have ever beaten.

Freshman Amanda Lamb got both starts in goal on the weekend, making 10 total saves, and playing the duration in net for now three straight games. On the season, she holds a .690 save percentage and 2.46 goals-against-average in a team-high 330 minutes in goal.

Rutgers also boasts a diversity of scoring, as they have three players with over 15 points on the year. The three all represent different position groups - forward Nikki Santore (18 points), midfielder Linde van Schaik (16 points) and back Devon Freshnock (15 points).

No. 6 Northwestern comes into the game after a weekend that saw two top-10 victories, defeating No. 4 Penn State (5-3) and No. 6 Maryland (3-2). They hold an 8-2 record on the year and a six-game winning streak, with their losses coming early to No. 17 Boston University and No. 4 Duke. They also hold a victory over No. 8 Boston College.

The Wildcats boast the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Pascale Massey) and the Freshman of the Week (Saar de Breij). Isabel Flens leads the Wildcats with 19 points (six goals, seven assists) and Dominique Masters has seven goals and four assists. In goal, Lindsay von der Luft boasts a .787 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average.

Northwestern holds a 2-0 advantage in the lifetime series, as the teams have only met as Big Ten foes. In the first meeting in 2014, Rutgers pushed the game into overtime in Evanston, with NU scoring the game's only goal in the 84^th minute, while Northwestern took a 5-1 win in last year's visit.