Friday, November 10
Chapel Hill, N.C.
3:13 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Harvard University
No. 6 Field Hockey Plays No. 9 Harvard Friday in NCAA Tournament
Nov 07 | Field Hockey
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First Weekend of NCAA Tournament In Chapel Hill, North Carolina
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 6 Rutgers field hockey is heading to the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Scarlet Knights will play No. 9 Harvard on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. No. 1 overall seed is the host for the region, facing the William & Mary at 12 p.m. on Friday. The two Friday winners will face off on Sunday at noon. The games will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Matt Krause handling play-by-play duties.
Rutgers enters the NCAA Tournament with a 16-3 record and were No. 6 in both the Coaches Poll and the NCAA RPI release. The Scarlet Knights had seven ranked wins overall, including top-10 wins during the year over No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Ohio State, and also claimed a win over American East Tournament Champion Cal. Rutgers was 11-2 away from home.
The 16 wins this season as the second most in program history, as only the 2021 team (19) won more games. Over the last three seasons, RU has downed 25 ranked teams. Since the start of 2018, Rutgers has a 76-37 overall record (.673 winning percentage), 38 ranked wins, 13 top-10 wins and five top-five wins. In that time, they've made two NCAA Tournaments, including a Big Ten Tournament championship and Elite Eight appearance.
The Scarlet Knights set a program record this season with five all-conference players. Iris Langejans was the Big Ten Player of the Year and was a Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. Puck Winter was First Team and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league and second nationally with 11 defensive saves. Guillermina Causarano was the third First Team selection, leading the team with 12 goals, eight assists and 31 points.
Paulina Niklaus was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection, aiding the backline from her defensive midfield position and scoring goals in three of the past four games. Ava Cickavage anchored the team from center midfield and earned Second Team All-Big Ten. In goal, Sophia Howard has a 1.20 goals-against-average and .764 save percentage.
Guillermina Causarano has 12 goals and 31 points this season. With one more goal, she would have sole possession of seventh place and the most goals in a season by a RU player since Amy Lewis in 2008. She needs three goals to tie for sixth. She is currently tied for eighth on the single-season points list and needs four points to tie for seventh.
Rutgers is making their fifth ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Scarlet Knights are 3-4 all-time in NCAA Tournaments, previously qualifying in 2021, 2018, 1986 and 1984.
In 2021, Rutgers was the Big Ten Tournament champions, No. 1 overall seed and host site. The Scarlet Knights defeated Delaware, 2-1, in the First Round, ultimately falling to Libery in a penalty shootout in the Elite Eight. Four current Scarlet Knights on the current squad played in games during that 2021 NCAA Tournament: Iris Langejans, Bridy Molyneaux, Lucy Bannatyne and Guillermina Causarano. Bannatyne scored the game-winning goal in the victory over Delaware and Langejans and Causarano started both games. Five other student-athletes (Carly Snarski, Noelle Leaf, Lauren Kokoskie, Elise Pettisani, and Sophia Howard) were on the roster for that 2021 NCAA Tournament but did not see game action.
In 2018, Civico led RU to their first NCAA Tournament in 32 years. The Scarlet Knights fell to UConn in a game played in College Park, Maryland.
RU previously played an Ivy League school in NCAA Tournament play in 1986, defeating Penn 3-2.
Harvard ended the year with a 15-3 record. After a double-overtime loss to Duke left them 5-3 on September 24, and marked their third loss to a top-10 team, the Crimson ran off 10 straight wins to end the season. That included wins over NCAA teams Syracuse and St. Joe's, and won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament to clinch and automatic bid.
Harvard's points leader is Emily Guckian (eight goals, 10 assists, 26 points). Lara Beekhuis leads the team with nine goals, while Sage Piekaraski has also tallied eight times. Goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo has a 1.12 goals-against-average and .709 save percentage.
As a team, Harvard is third nationally in shutouts per game, sixth in goals-agianst-average and ninth in scoring margin. Shahbo is 11th in the nation in GAA. Piekarski was named the Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Year, while Bronte-May Brough was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
Harvard head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden has been the head coach of Harvard since 2012. He was previously an assistant coach at Maryland, and was on the staff in 2005 while Rutgers head coach Meredith Civico was a player, winning the National Championship.
This is the first ever meeting between the two schools. Rutgers faces Princeton, who Harvard downed in the Ivy League Title Game, each year, and the Scarlet Knights are 31-34-2 all-time against the Ivy League.
1984, 1986, 2018, 2021, 2023
11/12/21 #17 Delaware (W,2-1)
11/14/21 #9 Liberty (L, 3-2, so)
10/9/18 #5 UConn (L, 5-0)
11/15/86 at Pennsylvania (W, 3-2)
11/23/86 at North Carolina (L, 2-0)
11/9/84 vs. Penn State (W, 3-0)
11/10/84 vs. Temple (L, 5-2)
The first game of the day at noon will see No. 1 overall seed UNC play William and Mary. That game's winner will face Rutgers on Sunday at noon.
UNC enters the year at 14-3, the ACC Regular Season and Tournament champions. The Tar Heels have three straight wins over top-5 teams and all of their losses this year are to NCAA at-large teams.
The Tar Heels are making their 40th appearance in the NCAA field, and have been the top overall seed for five of the past six years. The defending NCAA champions have 10 championships overall, and have won four of the past five titles. UNC is led by First Team All-ACC selections Ryleigh Heck (Ocean City, N.J. native who led the team with 24 points) and Sietske Bruning. UNC has first year head coach Erin Matson at the helm, taking over the reigns of the program directly after graduating from the university in December 2022, where she was the all-time scoring leader in ACC history and three-time Honda Award winner.
Rutgers has played UNC twice, with a 0-2 record. Rutgers and UNC faced each other in the 1986 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, with the Tar Heels earning a 2-0 win. The Scarlet Knights faced them again at home the next September in 1987, also losing that game 2-0.
William & Mary posted an 12-8 overall record after beating Sacred Heart in the Play-In Game and were number 27 in the RPI. The Tribe were the third seed in the CAA, claiming the automatic bid and Tournament crown following a 3-2 win over Monmouth behind a hat trick from Lauren Curran, who has 10 goals in W&M's last six matches. Rutgers and William & Mary have played 10 times previously, with the series tied at 5-5. RU has won the last two meetings, most recently a 2-1 win in 2016.
Gallery: (11-9-2023) Field Hockey NCAA Practice Day
| About Rutgers |
Rutgers enters the NCAA Tournament with a 16-3 record and were No. 6 in both the Coaches Poll and the NCAA RPI release. The Scarlet Knights had seven ranked wins overall, including top-10 wins during the year over No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Ohio State, and also claimed a win over American East Tournament Champion Cal. Rutgers was 11-2 away from home.
The 16 wins this season as the second most in program history, as only the 2021 team (19) won more games. Over the last three seasons, RU has downed 25 ranked teams. Since the start of 2018, Rutgers has a 76-37 overall record (.673 winning percentage), 38 ranked wins, 13 top-10 wins and five top-five wins. In that time, they've made two NCAA Tournaments, including a Big Ten Tournament championship and Elite Eight appearance.
The Scarlet Knights set a program record this season with five all-conference players. Iris Langejans was the Big Ten Player of the Year and was a Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. Puck Winter was First Team and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league and second nationally with 11 defensive saves. Guillermina Causarano was the third First Team selection, leading the team with 12 goals, eight assists and 31 points.
Paulina Niklaus was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection, aiding the backline from her defensive midfield position and scoring goals in three of the past four games. Ava Cickavage anchored the team from center midfield and earned Second Team All-Big Ten. In goal, Sophia Howard has a 1.20 goals-against-average and .764 save percentage.
| Milestone Tracker |
Guillermina Causarano has 12 goals and 31 points this season. With one more goal, she would have sole possession of seventh place and the most goals in a season by a RU player since Amy Lewis in 2008. She needs three goals to tie for sixth. She is currently tied for eighth on the single-season points list and needs four points to tie for seventh.
| Rutgers in the NCAA Tournament |
Rutgers is making their fifth ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Scarlet Knights are 3-4 all-time in NCAA Tournaments, previously qualifying in 2021, 2018, 1986 and 1984.
In 2021, Rutgers was the Big Ten Tournament champions, No. 1 overall seed and host site. The Scarlet Knights defeated Delaware, 2-1, in the First Round, ultimately falling to Libery in a penalty shootout in the Elite Eight. Four current Scarlet Knights on the current squad played in games during that 2021 NCAA Tournament: Iris Langejans, Bridy Molyneaux, Lucy Bannatyne and Guillermina Causarano. Bannatyne scored the game-winning goal in the victory over Delaware and Langejans and Causarano started both games. Five other student-athletes (Carly Snarski, Noelle Leaf, Lauren Kokoskie, Elise Pettisani, and Sophia Howard) were on the roster for that 2021 NCAA Tournament but did not see game action.
In 2018, Civico led RU to their first NCAA Tournament in 32 years. The Scarlet Knights fell to UConn in a game played in College Park, Maryland.
RU previously played an Ivy League school in NCAA Tournament play in 1986, defeating Penn 3-2.
| About Harvard |
Harvard ended the year with a 15-3 record. After a double-overtime loss to Duke left them 5-3 on September 24, and marked their third loss to a top-10 team, the Crimson ran off 10 straight wins to end the season. That included wins over NCAA teams Syracuse and St. Joe's, and won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament to clinch and automatic bid.
Harvard's points leader is Emily Guckian (eight goals, 10 assists, 26 points). Lara Beekhuis leads the team with nine goals, while Sage Piekaraski has also tallied eight times. Goalkeeper Tessa Shahbo has a 1.12 goals-against-average and .709 save percentage.
As a team, Harvard is third nationally in shutouts per game, sixth in goals-agianst-average and ninth in scoring margin. Shahbo is 11th in the nation in GAA. Piekarski was named the Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Year, while Bronte-May Brough was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
Harvard head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden has been the head coach of Harvard since 2012. He was previously an assistant coach at Maryland, and was on the staff in 2005 while Rutgers head coach Meredith Civico was a player, winning the National Championship.
This is the first ever meeting between the two schools. Rutgers faces Princeton, who Harvard downed in the Ivy League Title Game, each year, and the Scarlet Knights are 31-34-2 all-time against the Ivy League.
| With a Win... |
- Claim their eighth ranked win this season
- Grab its third top-10 win on this season
- Earn its fourth ever NCAA Tournament win
| NCAA Appearances |
11/12/21 #17 Delaware (W,2-1)
11/14/21 #9 Liberty (L, 3-2, so)
10/9/18 #5 UConn (L, 5-0)
11/15/86 at Pennsylvania (W, 3-2)
11/23/86 at North Carolina (L, 2-0)
11/9/84 vs. Penn State (W, 3-0)
11/10/84 vs. Temple (L, 5-2)
| Up Next |
UNC enters the year at 14-3, the ACC Regular Season and Tournament champions. The Tar Heels have three straight wins over top-5 teams and all of their losses this year are to NCAA at-large teams.
The Tar Heels are making their 40th appearance in the NCAA field, and have been the top overall seed for five of the past six years. The defending NCAA champions have 10 championships overall, and have won four of the past five titles. UNC is led by First Team All-ACC selections Ryleigh Heck (Ocean City, N.J. native who led the team with 24 points) and Sietske Bruning. UNC has first year head coach Erin Matson at the helm, taking over the reigns of the program directly after graduating from the university in December 2022, where she was the all-time scoring leader in ACC history and three-time Honda Award winner.
Rutgers has played UNC twice, with a 0-2 record. Rutgers and UNC faced each other in the 1986 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, with the Tar Heels earning a 2-0 win. The Scarlet Knights faced them again at home the next September in 1987, also losing that game 2-0.
William & Mary posted an 12-8 overall record after beating Sacred Heart in the Play-In Game and were number 27 in the RPI. The Tribe were the third seed in the CAA, claiming the automatic bid and Tournament crown following a 3-2 win over Monmouth behind a hat trick from Lauren Curran, who has 10 goals in W&M's last six matches. Rutgers and William & Mary have played 10 times previously, with the series tied at 5-5. RU has won the last two meetings, most recently a 2-1 win in 2016.
Head Coach Meredith Civico sat down with Bruce Beck to talk #RUFH and look ahead to the NCAA Tournament
— Rutgers Field Hockey (@RUFieldHockey) November 9, 2023
Check out the latest episode of Knightlife, presented by @HorizonBCBSNJ: pic.twitter.com/LYSYZJKiXZ
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