PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Scarlet Knight field hockey program is on the rise ahead of an eagerly anticipated 2021 fall season. The team is eager to pick right back up where the team left off in the spring season. The team went 9-6, spent the season ranked in the top-12 of the national polls (finishing at No. 7 in the country) and went undefeated at home and 5-3 in Big Ten games. The Scarlet Knights showed that they could compete with the nation's best programs, with four top-10 wins (sweeping No.4 Northwestern and No. 9 Penn State). RU is eager to build on that success, and at the same time, the team is not satisfied with stopping there.

"Even though we were successful last season, everyone still wanted more," captain Gianna Glatz explained. "That drive and determination to continue to be better and do better will help us this season. We always say we want to leave the place better than we found it, so we have to keep bringing it and going for that goal."

An exciting facet of this year's team is its experience, bringing back the majority of the squad from last season's team. RU had three All-Americans last season (Gianna Glatz, Katie Larmour and Milena Redlingshoefer), a first for the program, as well as a program record four All-Big Ten selections (Glatz, Larmour, Redlingshoefer and Kerrie Burns). All those student-athletes are set to return for next season, as the Scarlet Knights saw just one senior depart due to graduation, bringing back a veteran and talented roster that is well poised for success.

"We have a great team, the same team basically past from last season where we finished seventh in the country," Kerrie Burns stated. "There's a lot of potential there. I'm excited for the dynamic with the team, with our chemistry we've built and adding some new players as well.

"The best part about this season is almost everyone came back," Gianna Glatz said. "We have players with five years of experience, plus the newcomers coming in, we're going to bring so much to the table. This is going to be the strongest team at Rutgers that I've ever been a part of, which is super exciting considering where we ended last season."

"We're quite a mature bunch, a strong senior class and group of older players," Katie Larmour said. "Being mature, having that kind of hockey knowledge is something that's really important in this sport."

One thing that has always been key to the field hockey team's success is their chemistry. An incredibly close group, the Scarlet Knights have a tight bond off the field that helps the program be connected on the field.

"We've built such a bond with each other," Glatz said. "The relationships we've built off the field really show on the field, because we are such a close group, we know how to communicate with each other. It clicks on the field and there's perfect unity."

"We're a family," Burns succinctly summarized. "That helps us on and off the field, having that connection."

"This team's chemistry is honestly electric," Abby Regn said. "Everyone loves each other, we're all sisters and we really are a Rutgers family. That's definitely visible on the field."

The season starts this weekend, as RU heads down south to face Duke and Richmond. They squad is tuned up and prepared for a great season. The Scarlet Knights expectations are high, and the team is excited to host the Big Ten Tournament this season in Piscataway with an eye on postseason success. With an experience group of veterans gelling with a talented group of newcomers, the ceiling is extremely high for what the Scarlet Knights can achieve.

"I'm really excited that we're all coming back together," Abby Regn said. "We have a lot to build off of and a really great foundation. It's going to be a really good year as we grow together."

"We're known now as a top-10 program, which is something we'd been working towards since my freshman year," Kerrie Burns said. "Now we can only get better from there."