STORRS, Conn. - No. 16 Rutgers field hockey kept its unbeaten streak going with another road win to start the year. The Scarlet Knights downed No. 15 UConn, 2-1, following overtime and a penalty shootout, to improve to 4-0 on the season.

The game was scoreless early on, with Rutgers having the majority of chances. RU had seven of the first nine shots through 20 minutes of play, including a penalty stroke attempt, but couldn't find the back of the net in the opening half.  A late penalty corner for UConn gave the hosts a good chance, but two saves from Sophia Howard kept the game scoreless at the intermission.

Just over six minutes into the second half, it was Rutgers who broke through first. Guillermina Causarano, the team's leading scorer on the season, put home an unassisted tally to give RU a 1-0 advantage.

The Scarlet Knights would hold the lead for just six minutes. Julia Bressler equalized the game at the 43 minute mark, sending the game to the fourth frame even at 1-1.

The teams would continue to battle, remaining even through two overtime frames. Sophia Howard stood tall for the Scarlet Knights, with nine saves overall on the day, including two in the final overtime period to keep the game tied and send it to a penalty shootout.

The penalty shootout would go back-and-forth and remain very close throughout. After a first round of five shooters, the teams were still tied, forcing a second round. That game down to the very last shot taker for each side. On RU's final attempt, Paulina Niklaus slid the ball under the goalkeeper for the score. On UConn's turn, Howard had the shooter covered, and forced the shot high and off the mark, and set off a celebration with her teammates rushing to mob her.

Next Up

Rutgers has a pair of road games next weekend. The team plays at Villanova on Friday night and then at Princeton on Sunday.

Postgame Notes

• Guillermina Causarano has a team-leading three goals through four games, and has tied her previous career-high of three goals in a season (set last year).
• Freshman Olivia Beattie made her first collegiate start.
• Sophia Howard has a 0.46 goals-against-average and .895 save percentage through four games, both of which would be career best marks.
• Puck Winter had the team's first defensive save of the season and the fifth of her career. 

With the Win:

• RU has a 4-0 record to start the season for the second time in three years
  • (The fall 2021 Big Ten Tournament Champion squad also started that year 4-0, which included a win at UConn in the third game of that season).
• It marked the third time in the past six years RU started a season 4-0 (also done by the 2018 NCAA Tournament team).
• The win was the first ranked win of the season, the sixth ranked win over the past two seasons, the 19^th ranked win over the past three seasons and the 23^rd ranked win since the spring 2021 season.
• It was the 39^th ranked win for RU since Meredith Civico took over as the head coach.  
• Rutgers earned its fifth lifetime win over UConn in 36 all-time meetings, and the third straight win in the series. The last three games have all gone extra time.