COLUMBUS, Ohio – Just another game. Just another win. In the 2023 season, the No. 4 ranked Rutgers field hockey team has made monumental look routine. Friday was game day, so the Scarlet Knights won. The fact that the game featured a road contest against a top-10 foe was no matter, as RU earned a 1-0 win in a penalty shootout. With the victory, the team improved to 13-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play.

For the Scarlet Knights, this historic win marked the first time ever winning four straight Big Ten games as they claimed their highest ranked road win of the season, while marking their highest ranked road win of the season and second victory over a top-10 foe, as well as their seventh ranked win of the season overall.

In the first quarter, Ohio State came out as the aggressors, and the RU defense held strong. The Scarlet Knights held off the visitors in the first frame, as OSU had five shots and three corners in the first 15 minutes, but the game stayed at 0-0.

In the second quarter, RU flipped the momentum into their favor and pressed at the goal, earning some early corner opportunities. However, the game remained scoreless heading into halftime.

The game was also scoreless after three quarters. It marked the second time this season that RU entered the fourth quarter with a 0-0 tie, also doing so in what was ultimately a 1-0 double-overtime victory at Penn State.

RU kept pushing toward the goal. The Scarlet Knights had a great attempt at the goal with five minutes to play, but an open shot at the back post went just off-target.

Ohio State had the statistical advantage through four quarters, with a 16-6 advantage in shots and 9-4 margin in corners. However, the game remained scoreless. And as such, RU headed into extra time for the 6^th time in the past 10 games, and made it a perfect 4-for-4 in Big Ten games heading into overtime.

Iris Langejans had a great chance early in overtime, with a steal, then going coast-to-coast for a clean look at goal, but her shot went just wide. With less players on the field, the overtime took on a frantic back-and-forth pace. The game then went to double overtime, marking the fifth time this season RU played over 70 minutes of hockey.

In the second overtime, RU went two players down on a pair of green cards. Rutgers was great on defense and killed it off. The game would then head to a penalty shootout to decide things, RU's third penalty shootout of the season.

In the shootout, RU saw four of its five takers score. Puck Winter, Marique Dieudonne, Paulina Niklaus and Ava Cickavage all scored their attempts, and Sophia Howard came up with two key saves on OSU attempts to secure the victory.

In the game overall, Sophia Howard made five saves. RU was outshot 17-8 and out-cornered 10-5, but held strong to not allow a goal in regulation and claim the win in the penalty shootout.

Ohio State entered the game having scored 49 goals overall, most in the nation. Rutgers held them without a goal through 80 minutes of field play. It goes as RU's fifth shutout of the season. 

Rutgers remains on the road for a game Sunday at Michigan State. Then next weekend, the team is home Friday vs. Indiana (Senior Day, BTN broadcast) and Sunday vs. Northwestern (Letterwinners Day).

Postgame Notes
With the Win

• The 13^th win of the season marked the third time since 2018 that RU reached 13 wins in a season. Prior to 2018, RU had gotten 13 wins just once since 1998.
• RU improved to 9-6 vs. OSU and earned the program's sixth straight win over the Buckeyes.
• Not only was it the first ever 4-0 start to Big Ten Conference play, but it would be the first time since joining the league that RU won four straight regular season conference games.
• RU is 3-0 in penalty shootouts this season and 6-0 when playing beyond regulation. 
• Rutgers earned its seventh ranked win of the season, 12th ranked win over the past two seasons, the 25th ranked win over the past three seasons and the 29th ranked win since the spring 2021 season along with the 45^th ranked win for RU since Meredith Civico took over as the head coach.
• RU is 2-0 against top-10 teams this season (No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Ohio State).
• Rutgers is 26-18 over the past six seasons in Big Ten play.
• RU is 16-8 in their last 24 games against Big Ten teams with 11 ranked wins.