PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 13 Rutgers field hockey tangled with in-state rival No. 18 Princeton on Sunday afternoon. The Scarlet Knights led for 40 minutes during the middle part of the game, but Princeton scored two goals in the final five minutes of the game to take a 3-2 victory. Princeton improved to 4-2, while RU fell to 3-4 on the year.

Guillermina Causrano and Kara Heck scored for RU. Sophia Howard had six saves and Puck Winter had a defensive save. The game was action packed, with shots 15-13 in RU's favor and corner's 9-7 Princeton.

Princeton scored first, tallying just 1:53 into the quarter. The Tigers capitalized on the game's first penalty corner, as they slid the ball back to their inserter for a finish at the back post.

Rutgers answered before the end of the stanza. RU earned its first corner of the game, and the ball was sent in from the top. It deflected off a defender's stick but right to an awaiting Guillermina Causarano, who hammered it home to even the score at 1-1.

The Scarlet Knights took the lead early in the second quarter. Kara Heck carried the ball in and fired a shot past the Princeton goalkeeper, giving RU a 2-1 advantage.

Rutgers continued to press in the second half to add to their lead, reaching double-digits in shots after intermission and earning multiple corners. However, Grace Shulze scored her second goal of the game for Princeton with 4:31 to play in the fourth, carrying the ball all the way down the sideline and finishing for the equalizer.

Then, just 37 seconds later, Schulze struck for her third. After inserting a corner, the ball was played back to her, and her hat trick put the Tigers in front for the first time since the first quarter. RU had 11 shots after halftime, but could not extend their lead, and fell to the visitors.

Postgame Notes

Causarano now has 22 career goals and 60 career points -- now 8th place all-time in RU history in both stats.

Puck Winter had her fifth defensive save of the season, notching one for the second consecutive game. Last season's NCAA leader in defensive saves, Winter now has 21 career defensive saves, just three shy of RU's all-time record of 24.

Causarano (six goals, 16 points) and Heck (four goals, nine) each added to their totals on the year. Causarano leads the team in goals and points, followed by Heck in each category.

Up Next

Next week, RU hosts No. 4 Iowa on Friday, September 27, the lone game of that week. The matchup, a 1 p.m. contest, will be nationally televised by Big Ten Network.