PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 6 Rutgers field hockey kept its impressive start to the season going with its highest ranked victory in 2023 on Thursday afternoon. The Scarlet Knights downed No. 8 Maryland, 3-2 in a penalty shootout to improve to 10-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Big Ten. In just the second home game of the season, RU claimed its fifth ranked win of the season, doing so in thrilling fashion in front of a boisterous home crowd that included multiple other Rutgers athletics' student-athletes, coaches and staff.
"We had really amazing moments of hockey throughout the game," head coach
Meredith Civico said. "I'm so proud of the way the team kept fighting. There's a belief with this group unlike any other that I've ever known. They just keep going no matter what the situation is, they just don't stop. That's evident in the way we won this game in shootouts, it's really incredible."
Julianne Kopec and
Guillermina Causarano scored goals in the game for RU.
Sophia Howard had four saves in the cage. The Scarlet Knights held an 18-11 advantage in shots and were up 10-5 in penalty corner opportunities.
Maryland scored first, taking the early lead on the first shot of the game. Just 2:44 into the contest, the visitors led 1-0.
Rutgers stormed back with two goals in a nine-minute span around halftime. The Scarlet Knights played the ball inside the circle and Kopec was there to push the ball into the net and equalize the game.
Just after halftime, the Scarlet Knights struck again.
Guillermina Causarano scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season and the Scarlet Knights took a 2-1 lead.
That lead lasted just six minutes, as Maryland equalized the game at the 38-minute mark. From there, the team's continued to battle, but remained deadlocked for the next 40 minutes on the field, heading past regulation for the fourth time over the past seven games.
The overtime periods were back-and-forth, with a number of quality chances for each side. In the shootout, Rutgers' scored on three of its first four attempts, while halting the Terps on three of their four shots. Â
"We had experience in penalty shootouts before, so when we got there, we knew what we needed to do and did it," captain
Sophia Howard explained. "This team is amazing. We come every day and give all we have. We push each other. Everyone is so committed to the cause and the team goal. There's a lot of love amongst this team and it keeps us going.
Rutgers remains home for its next two games. The Scarlet Knights host No. 15 Michigan (Friday, 3 pm) and Monmouth (Sunday, 1 pm) next weekend.
Postgame Notes:
- Rutgers earned its first top-10 win of the season.
- It was RU's first top-10 win since a 2-1 win over No. 3 Northwestern last season on October 8
- It was RU's 12th top-10 win since the spring 2021 season.
- Rutgers earned its fifth ranked win of the season, 10th ranked win over the past two seasons, the 23rd ranked win over the past three seasons and the 27th ranked win since the spring 2021 season along with the 43rd ranked win for RU since Meredith Civico took over as the head coach.
- It was the fifth win ever against vs. Maryland and 2-1 in the last three meetings, with both wins coming over a Maryland team ranked No. 8.
- Rutgers is 4-0 this season when playing past regulation, with all four coming against ranked teams (No. 15 UConn – Shootout, No. 15 Princeton – 2OT, No. 12 Penn State – 2OT, No. 8 Maryland – Shootout)
- RU has a 2-0 start in the Big Ten for a second straight season.
- RU is 14-7 against Big Ten teams over the past three seasons (66.7%).
- RU claimed 10 wins in a season for the fourth time since 2018. Prior to 2018, RU had won 10 games in a season just once in the previous 18 seasons.
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Gallery: (9-28-2023) Field Hockey Downs No. 8 Maryland
