PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers field hockey is pleased to announce the addition of eight new Scarlet Knights, who are set to join the team for the fall season. Ashley Arnold, Anna Cogdell, Caroline DeKenipp, Kara Heck, Madelyn Kidd, Sophie Kuiper, Emily Nicholls and Olivia Stazi are set to join the field hockey family. These eight newest Scarlet Knights join Maddie Olshemski, a transfer from Indiana who joined RU for their spring season, as new student-athletes set for debuts in the upcoming fall season.

"We are thrilled to welcome eight newcomers to the roster this fall," head coach Meredith Civico said. "They are a dynamic and versatile group poised to make an immediate impact as Scarlet Knights."

#23 Ashley Arnold, Midfield/Forward, Hershey, Pa. / Hershey HS / Wake Forest

Arnold comes to RU as a transfer from Wake Forest. While with the ACC program, she saw action in 13 games over the course of two seasons, scoring three goals. As an underclassman, she tallied goals against VCU, James Madison and UMass. She was also twice selected to the NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad.

Arnold was a four-year letterwinner in high school, where she was a team captain as a senior. She twice led her team in goals and assists and was named First Team NFHCA Pennsylvania All-State and All-Region in 2020. A 2020 PennLive Preseason Mid-Penn Conference Field Hockey MVP, she was ranked as a top-10 player for the 2021 class in 2018. A 2018 Pennsylvania AAA State champion, her team was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Arnold was also a two-time MaxFH All-American Watch List selection and received the United States Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award.

Arnold was a 2020 U19 National Indoor Tournament Pool Medalist. She received multiple medals in the National Indoor Tournament Pool, Rise National Futures Championships, Pennsylvania National Futures Championships, AAU Junior Olympics, National Club Showcase and Disney Showcase levels. Arnold was selected as a member of the AAU Junior Olympics in 2018 and was a member of the 2019 Pennsylvania All-State Academic Team. She was also a U-19 Nexus National Championship selection and U-17 Junior National Camp Selection.

The daughter of James and Kelly, Arnold also played golf and basketball in high school.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Arnold: "A talented ball handler with the ability to produce in the attacking end, we are delighted that Ashley has joined the Rutgers family."

#17 Anna Cogdell, Midfield/Forward, Badingham, England / Framlingham College

Cogdell comes to RU from Badingham, England. Playing both midfield and forward, she went to Framlingham College. The daughter of Elaine and Duncan Cogdell, she has one older sibling, Els. Both parents played hockey at a high level, as her father represented England in junior levels and played premier league hockey in England for over 10 years, and her mother played national level hockey in France.

Cogdell, a current U-21 England trialist, has extensive English hockey experience. On the U-18 squad, she played in the 2023 European Championships. She was also the U-18 Independent Schools national champions, Tier 1 runner-up, Indoor National Finalist, and Indoor National runner-up, serving as a co-captain of that squad. Cogdell was a U-16 Indoor National champion, serving as team captain and finishing as top goal scorer in the tournament. She was also on a U-16 Indoor National Finalist squad in 2020, and did a school exchange program to South Africa, where she was U-16 South African National Schools Champion. As a captain of the U-14 team, she was a National Schools Tier 1 Bronze Medal winner.

Cogdell plays with the Harleston Magpies Ladies 1^st Team in the Division I South National league. She serves as vice-captain for the 2023-24 season and scored 19 goals to lead the team to the Super Sixes Indoor Division 1 championship. She also serves as Saxon Tigers captain for the Future Cup Championship.

A talented multi-sport athlete, she also competed in swimming, as an IAP National Finalist, cricket (representing her Suffolk country team), tennis (as an IAP National Doubles Champion) and netball.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Cogdell: "A versatile midfielder, with international experience, Anna is technically strong and has great game understanding. I anticipate she will make an immediate impact for the Knights."

#15 Caroline DeKenipp, Midfield/Forward, Point Pleasant, N.J. / Point Pleasant Boro HS

DeKenipp joins the program from Point Pleasant, N.J. Playing forward and midfield for Point Pleasant Boro High School, she finished her career second all-time in the school's history for goals, scoring 113 times and adding 32 assists for 258 career points. DeKenipp, a three-time team MVP and 2023 team captain, led the team to a 2023 Shore Conference championship and two South Jersey Group 2 State Championships. DeKenipp was named the NJ.com and APP Shore Conference Player of the Year and A-South Player of the Year. She was named All-Shore First Team three-times, All-Group 2 First Team twice and NFHCA New Jersey All-Region Twice, while being a member of the All-State Second Team in 2023 and All-Group 2 Second Team in 2021. A member of the Max Field Hockey Top 100 Players in the Class of 2024, she was named by to the Max Field Hockey Regional Players to Watch twice and was on the Max Field Hockey 2022 Regional First Team. DeKenipp also participated in the 2021 and 2022 Nexus Championships.

The daughter of Dennis and Jennifer DeKenipp, she has two younger sisters, Ryan and Zoe. Her father played club ice hockey at St. Bonaventure. DeKenipp also participated in lacrosse and qualified for the 2023 Cross Fit Games Quarterfinals.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of DeKenipp: "An explosive player with fantastic small skills and an eye for goal, Caroline will pose constant defensive challenges for our opponents."

#16 Kara Heck, Forward, Ocean City, N.J. / Eastern Regional / Boston College

Heck comes to the Scarlet Knights after spending four seasons with Boston College, where she was named Second Team All-ACC and First Team All-Northeast Region last season. Overall, Heck played in 37 games and scored 10 goals with three assists for 23 points. Heck started all 17 games over this past season with 14 points (six goals, two assists). That included the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win at Virginia. Heck saw action in just one game in her first two seasons at BC due to injury.

Entering college, Heck was ranked as a top-50 player nationally according to Max Preps, scoring over 100 goals in three years of high school field hockey. She was a three-time NFHCA and Max Field Hockey All-American and was named the Max Field Hockey New Jersey Player of the Year as a senior in 2018. She was a three-time All-State and All-Conference selection, was three-time First Team All-South Jersey, a two-time Olympic Conference Field Hockey Player of the Year, three-time First Team All-Group 4 and the South Jersey Player of the Year in 2018. Heck helped Eastern Regional to a 26-0 record and the number one team in the nation in 2018. With her on the squad, Eastern Regional was four-time conference champions, four-time Group champions and four-time state champions, making the tournament of Champions finals all four years, winning in 2018. She scored 156 goals and had 78 assists over three years, earning Female Athlete of the Year honors twice from the Courier Post and twice from the Sun Newspaper. She set school records for goals in a single game and tournament assists in both a season and career.

Heck also competed with USA Field Hockey, where she was a member of the United States U-17 National Team, competing on their Uruguay Tour. She was also on the U-17 and U-19 Indoor National Team.

Heck also played lacrosse at a high level. She was a US Lacrosse All-American and a three-time All-State and three-time All-Group 4 selection. She also played basketball.

The daughter of Roy and Kerry, Heck had nine family members play collegiate sports, including three in field hockey. Her mother played field hockey at James Madison and her grandmother played at Cabrini. Her sister, Ryleigh, is currently on the UNC field hockey team, and was named the Division I National Player of the Year last season. Her father played basketball at Stockton State, where he is an assistant coach. Her brother Jordan played basketball at Stockton and her brother Andrew played football at Ursinus. Her uncle Andy played football at Wake Forest and in the CFL. Her aunt, Kiley, played basketball at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her grandfather played baseball at Slippery Rock.

Heck is from the same hometown as Rutgers head coach Meredith Civico and played at the same high school (Eastern Regional) as a number of former Scarlet Knights field hockey players, including Alanna Gollotto, Kimberly Jevic, Austyn Cuneo, Elise Pettisani and Nikki Santore.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Heck: "As a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility, Kara brings a lot of experience to the team. She's a strong technical player and absolute competitor. We are excited for her to be a Scarlet Knight!"

#18 Madelyn Kidd, Forward, Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough HS / Sacred Heart

Kidd joins the Scarlet Knights after spending her first collegiate season at Sacred Heart, where she was an all-conference selection. A native of Hillsborough, N.J., Kidd excelled at Hillsborough High School, just 14 miles from Rutgers.

In her season with the Pioneers, Kidd played in all 20 games, starting 18, and scored five goals with five assists for 15 points, leading the squad in assists and placing second on the team in goals and points. A Second Team All-NEC Selection, Kidd was named to the NEC Championship All-Tournament Team, and was named a NEC Prime Performer and NEC Rookie of the Week during the year. Kidd helped the Pioneers win the NEC championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, assisting on the game-winning goal in the championship game.

Kidd excelled academically, being named a NFHCA Scholar of Distinction, to the NFHCA National Academic Squad and to the NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll and NEC Academic Honor Roll in the fall. Kidd was also selected for the 2024 USA U-21 Junior Women's National Team selection camp.

In high school, Kidd was a four-year varsity player, compiling 37 goals and 21 assists. As a senior, she was named to the NJFHCA All-North Jersey First Team, First Team All-County, Second Team All-Conference and the team's Offensive MVP. She helped her squad to a NJSIAA North Group 4 sectional final field hockey championship and a top-five ranking in the state as a team captain. As a junior, she was also named First Team All-State, All-County and All-Conference and was the team's Offensive MVP.

The daughter of Alan and Karin Kidd, she has one older sibling, Camryn.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Kidd: "A freshman standout last season at Sacred Heart, we love how Maddie seeks to constantly challenge herself and improve. She brings creativity and goals back to her home state of New Jersey."

#14 Sophie Kuiper, Forward, Oss, Netherlands/De Rooi Pannen Tilburg

Kuiper joins the Scarlet Knights from Oss, Netherlands. A forward, she went to high school at De Rooi Pannen Tilburg. The daughter of Henri Kuiper and Ghislaine Monchen, she has two older siblings, Frank and Thijs.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Kuiper: "Sophie is a dynamic and exciting forward who loves to score goals. She plays at a very high level in the Netherlands and we are excited to see her bring this experience to RU." 

#1 Emily Nicholls, Goalkeeper, Haddon Heights, N.J. / Camden Catholic

Nicholls joins the Scarlet Knights from Haddon Heights, N.J. The in-state goalkeeper excelled as a two-year varsity starter at Camden Catholic, where she helped the team to two state championships, a No. 1 national ranking in 2022 and the No. 2 team in the region in 2022. Nicholls was a Third Team All-State selection in 2023 and was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection. Nicholls was on the Max Field Hockey Top 50 for the Class of 2024 and was on their High School Regional Player to Watch List. Nichollsvparticipated with the U-16 National Team during the 2022 Canadian Tour, was at the Junior National Camp in 2022 and 2023 and was a three-year Nexus Championship selection and three-year Stars and Stripes Game selection.

The daughter of Laura and Kevin Nicholls, she has three siblings: Caitlin, Jack and William. Both her parents also played college sports. She was high school teammates at Camden Catholic with future Rutgers teammate Oliva Stazi.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Nicholls: "A talented and athletic goalkeeper, Emily is a player we are tremendously excited about. She is someone who loves to win - and hates to lose - and she will add to our strong group of goalkeepers."

#7 Olivia Stazi, Midfield/Back, Sewell, N.J. / Camden Catholic

Stazi joins the Scarlet Knights from Sewell, N.J. The Camden Catholic product was a two-time New Jersey All-Non Public First Team Selection. Stazi twice led Camden Catholic to Non-Public NJ State Championships, including in 2022 when the program ascended to the number one ranking in the state. In 2023, Stazi was named Second Team All-State. She was also a three-time All-Olympic Conference Honors Second Team selection and was tabbed for the U-21 squad at the 2024 Junior Nexus Championship.

The daughter of Matthew and Jaime, she has a younger sister, Sophia. She also competed in lacrosse. She was high school teammates at Camden Catholic with future Rutgers teammate Emily Nicholls.

Head coach Meredith Civico said of Stazi: "Olivia is a tough defender who always brings a competitive and contagious energy. She moves the ball very well and is tenacious in one versus one. We can't wait to see her as a Knight."