PISCATAWAY, N.J – No. 23 Rutgers field hockey welcomes two more opponents this weekend to conclude a season-opening five-game homestand. The Scarlet Knights will face off against Cornell at 3 p.m. on Friday, then welcome No. 6 Princeton at 11 a.m. Sunday. Friday's game is 'Fortnite Friday', while Sunday is Millitary Appreciation Day. Both games will be streamed through BTN Plus.
 
The Scarlet Knights joined the national rankings this week at No. 23 after a 3-0 start to the season, defeating No. 18 St. Joe's 3-2 on Sunday for its first ranked win of the campaign and fourth over the past two years. Against St. Joe's, senior Nikki Profita scored her first career goal for the game-winner with 10 minutes to play. The team has outscored its opponents 14-2 in three games, with two shutouts. RU leads the nation in scoring margin (4.0) and goals per game (4.67).
 
Daphne Groothuis was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week following a two-goal, five-assist performance last weekend. The sophomore leads the team with three goals, six assists and 12 points. She leads the nation in points per game (2.0) and is third in the country in points per game (4.0), while topping the Big Ten in both categories.
 
In goal, Gianna Glatz has a 0.76 goals-against average, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 11^th nationally. Her save percentage of .818 is third in the conference.

Cornell has started the season 0-2, taking losses to Bucknell (5-0) and Lock Haven (301). The team returns Second Team All-Ivy goalkeeper Maddie Henry. The Big Red have reached double-digit wins in each of the last six straight seasons. Rutgers is 7-3 all-time against Cornell, defeating them each of the past two seasons (2-1 last year and 4-2 in 2016).

Princeton opened the year at 2-1, falling to No. 2 North Carolina (1-0) in their opener before defeating No. 14 Wake Forest (4-0) and No. 5 Penn State (2-1 in two overtimes). The Tigers will face No. 4 Duke on Friday before taking on the Scarlet Knights to complete five straight games against ranked opponents to begin the year. The Tigers, a NCAA Quarterfinalist last season, rank third in the NCAA with 10.33 penalty corners per game. RU is 3-19-1 all-time versus Princeton, with last year's meeting (a 2-1 loss) the first regular season matchup since 2006.

 

Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers field hockey, follow the program on Twitter (@RUFieldHockey) and Facebook. Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com. For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.