PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers field hockey welcomes five new players to the roster for the upcoming academic year. The Scarlet Knights bring in Lucy Bannatyne, Guillermina Causarano, Sarah Korczukowski, Iris Langejans, and Noelle Leaf to the roster ahead of the 2021 fall season.

"I'm so excited about what this freshman class is going to add to our existing team," head coach Meredith Civico said. "Dynamic and driven as a group, they each also offer something unique and different as players. Above all else, they are fantastic people who want to do their very best for themselves, for their team and for Rutgers."



#22 Lucy Bannatyne
Auckland, New Zealand / Diocesan School for Girls
Midfield/Forward

Prior to Rutgers: Was named Most Valuable Player of her school's 1^st XI team in 2019 … earn the girls hockey senior Player of the Year Award in 2018 … earned Silver Star Award … played in the North vs. South New Zealand U-21 series … played for three years on the New Zealand U-18 team … awarded a level 4 hockey scholarship in 2019 and 2020 from High Performance Sport New Zealand … also played touch rugby, lacrosse and competed in track … has three siblings: Anna, Felicity and Angus

Coach Civico on Bannatyne: "Incredibly skilled and with an eye for goal, Lucy is an exceptional talent. Comfortable in the midfield or on the forward line, she has terrific technical ability and game understanding. The exciting thing is that she is only going to get better during her time here at Rutgers."




#25 Guillermina Causarano
Salta, Argentina / Colegio San Pablo
Midfield/Forward

Prior to Rutgers: Competed in the national tournaments with Federacion Saltena de Hockey from 2017 – 2019, claiming first place with the U-18 squad in 2019 and third place with the U-18 squad in 2018 … earned first place with the U-16 squad of the Popeye Beisbol Club in local tournament competition … was named team captain in 2019 … recognized with gold medal for top GPA in her class and was given honor of national flag bearer as such … had first escort of provincial flag in 2019 … also played volleyball, handball and football … parents are Javier Fernando Vausarano and Ana Florencia Medina … has a younger brother, Tobias

Coach Civico on Causarano: "A tough, determined competitor, Guillermina is another freshman who will add to our attacking options. Strong defensively but with great offensive skill, she is going to be a real threat on all parts of the field."



#18 Sarah Korczukowski
Washington, N.J. / Warren Hills HS
Back/Midfield

Prior to Rutgers: Tallied 29 goals and 23 assists over four years as a four-year varsity player and three-year starter … was team captain as a senior … recipient of the Skyland Conference Scholar Athlete Award .. three-time all-conference selection … named Second Team All-Group 3 as a senior … as a junior, named All-Hunterdon-Warren Country Second Team and was the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament MVP … led team to Northwest C Section Championship and earned three conference championships … two-time winner of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament … president of National Honor Society who graduated in top ten of her class … recipient of the AP Scholar with Distinction Award and two-time New Jersey State Winner of the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing Award … member of the GirlsGo CyberStart national cybersecurity competition team, lead mentor of Girls Coding with Girls, Coding with Kids, and is an executive member of the Computer Science Club and member of the Debate Club … parents are Cindy and Frank … has two brothers: Jacob and John … Jacob plays lacrosse at Centenary University

Coach Civico on Korczukowski: "Sarah is a true student of the game. She is a bright young player who only wants to get better and contribute to the team. She will thrive in this high-performance environment and I'm looking forward to what she will add to our program."



#34 Iris Langejans
Almelo, Netherlands / Zwolle
Midfield

Prior to Rutgers: Trained with Dutch Nationals and SCHC Dames …parents are Carry Langejans and Petra Kroeze … has one sibling, Lars

Coach Civico on Langejans: "Iris is a fun and energetic player who likes to attack from her defensive position. Coming to us having played at the very highest level in the Netherlands, she is going to add another dimension to our play."



#19 Noelle Leaf
Metuchen, N.J. / Metuchen HS
Midfielder / Forward

Prior to Rutgers: Four-year varsity player who was a two-time all-conference selection and led squad to three conference championships … named 2020 Greater Middlesex Conference Player of the Year after scoring 20 goals and adding 12 assists … in 2020, posted 16 goals in just 11 games … three-time Jersey Central Player of the Week … named to the National Honor Society and High Honor Roll … also played softball and basketball… parents are Joanne and Robert … has three siblings – Trent, Eric and Jessica
 
Coach Civico on Leaf: "Noelle always plays and trains with energy and joy. That is the very first thing I noticed about her and that instantly made me want her our team. She is eager to learn and is very competitive. She loves to win and that is exactly the mentality we want."