PISCATAWAY, N.J. - No. 3 Rutgers field hockey will look to continue a historic season on Sunday afternoon with even more history, with a Big Ten Championship on the line. The team next faced Michigan at noon in the championship game. The contest against the Wolverines, the No. 2 team in the nation, will be hosted by Rutgers and air nationwide on Big Ten Network. Tickets are available
here and more tournament info can be found
here.
The Scarlet Knights have put together one of the best season's in program history. RU currently stands at 17-3 overall, surpassing the 1986's team's record of 15 wins in a season. Rutgers has also notched new program bests with
- 11 ranked wins
- 5 top-10 wins
- 7 ranked road wins
- 6 Big Ten Conference league wins
- Second place finish in the Big Ten
- First ever Big Ten Tournament victory
- First ever appearance in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game
Playing in the best league in the country, Rutgers has positioned themselves right among the league's, and the nation's, best programs. Through Friday's games, the Scarlet Knights ranked No. 1 in the nation in the RPI, a key metric for the NCAA Selection Committee ahead of the postseason. The NCAA Selection Show will stream at 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
Rutgers has gotten to this point with incredible defense, allowing just 20 goals in 20 games. The best goalkeeper in the nation, Rutgers'
Gianna Glatz, was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Year.
"It's been incredible," Glatz said in a postgame interview live on Big Ten Network following Friday's win over Penn State. "This is the best team I've ever been a part of. There is a true family atmosphere with this team. We build a team around that culture, being a family, being together. That's why we've been successful. We don't play for ourselves, we play for one another. We need all 26 girls to come together to help us win."
Sunday has the potential to be a historic day for Rutgers athletics. The University is hosting two Big Ten Championships where the RU team is the higher seed. After field hockey's 12 p.m. championship game, the women's soccer program plays for a Big Ten title at 2 p.m. at Yurcak Field. Both teams have become incredibly close friends, with members of the women's soccer program even participating in field hockey's Senior Day ceremonies last week.
Rutgers is hosting the Big Ten Tournament at Bauer for the first time, and the fan support has been incredible. Over 1,000 fans have come in the gates for each day of play so far, creating a great atmosphere. The home field advantage has been a benefit for RU, who is 15-1 at home in the last two seasons.
