PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 15 Rutgers field hockey is back on the road this weekend, taking flight to the state of Michigan for a pair of games. The Scarlet Knights have their first two road Big Ten games of the season as they play at Michigan State Friday and No. 12 Michigan on Sunday.

Friday's game will be live streamed by B1G+. Sunday, the battle between ranked foes will be nationally televised by Big Ten Network, with Jack Kizer and Kara Lentz on the call. The game will be the first of two BTN games for RU during the regular season, with a home contest on October 17 against Northwestern also slated for BTN.

Game Coverage

Friday at Michigan State (3 pm): Live Stream on B1G+ | Live Stats

Sunday at Michigan (12 pm): Big Ten Network | Live Stats

About Rutgers

Rutgers enters the week with a 6-4 overall record and 1-0 mark in Big Ten play, buoyed by a league win over Ohio State and a non-conference highlighted by a victory over No. 16 UConn.

RU comes in at No. 14 in this week's NCAA RPI. The Scarlet Knights are 11^th in opponent success and have only lost to teams in the top-15 on the RPI (No. 2 Virginia, No. 5 Syracuse, No. 7 Princeton, No. 15 Monmouth). Only three teams in the NCAA have played more than four top-15 RPI teams, and none in the Big Ten (Syracuse, Stanford, Cal). Rutgers' has the third highest RPI in the Big Ten, only trailing No. 1 Northwestern and No. 9 Iowa.

The Scarlet Knights have outscored opponents 26-6 in their wins this season, and the combined score in their four losses has been 8-2.

Rutgers is in the top-15 in the country as a team in save percentage (fourth, 84%), saves per game (15^th, 6.3) and defensive saves (sixth, 4).

Rutgers' 6.3 saves per game is on pace to be its best in the Big Ten era – RU hasn't averaged more than six saves per game since joining the league in 2014-15. Nicholls' 68 saves are the most for any first-year starting goalkeeper in the nation.

Last weekend, RU outscored opponents 10-1, starting with a thrilling overtime win over Ohio State, then downing Columbia 8-0.

Against the Buckeyes, Rutgers had a thrilling battle, winning 2-1 in overtime. Rutgers scored the first goal with Sophie Kuiper scoring in the opening minute. Ohio State then took the next 20 shots in the game, but RU allowed just one goal in that span to take the game even at 1-1. RU withstood pressure late, as Puck Winter made back-to-back exceptional defensive plays with 2 defensive saves in final minutes for RU to propel the game into overtime. In the extra session, a pair of freshmen roommates teamed up, as freshman back Samatha Arnold (making her first collegiate start) redirected the ball to a charging Martha Goodridge for the game winning blast.

Rutgers then scored their most goals since 2018 in defeating the Lions. Puck Winter and Olivia Fraticelli scored twice to lead six different goal scorers. Fraticelli had her second multi-goal game in a nine-game span, while Winter had her first multi-goal game since a hat trick against Villanova in September of 2023.

Puck Winter has four defensive saves on the year, leading the Big Ten and tied for the NCAA lead. She now has 29 defensive saves in her career, tied for 7^th in NCAA history and 2^nd in Big Ten history (just two shy from 1^st in Big Ten history).

Following the weekend, RU earned two Big Ten awards and one national award. Puck Winter earned NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week (second of her career, first since 2023) and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (her second of the season and fourth of her career). Martha Goodridge earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week (first of her career). Along with two awards previously for Emily Nicholls, RU has earned five Big Ten weekly awards this year across five weeks of the season. That is the most in the conference. 

Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emily Nicholls has excelled in her first collegiate season, twice winning Big Ten weekly awards. Her 68 saves, leading the Big Ten by 33, nearly double second place (35), and she was recognized by 'The Field Hockey Analyst' as a Goalkeeper of the Week after 11 saves against Ohio State.

About the Opponents

Friday: Michigan State

Michigan State, under 15th year head coach Helen Knull, is 3-6 on the season and 0-2 in conference play. The Spartans were 3-2 after early wins over Merrimack, Bellarmine and Ohio, but enter Friday on a four-game losing streak, falling to conference foes in Michigan and Penn State and non-conference foes Miami (Ohio) and Bucknell). MSU has been outscored 14-1 in those four games. MSU, who haven't defeated Rutgers since 2016, also hasn't won more than two conference games in that span.

Goalkeeper Lyra Gavino averages 5.0 saves per game, second to RU's Nicholls, and has a 67.3 save percentage along with a 2.97 goals-against-average. Seven different players share the team lead with two goals, including Maddie Lawlor, a Shamong, New Jersey native off a five-goal season last year.

Rutgers is 12-8-1 against Michigan State all-time. Since 2017, the Scarlet Knights have won nine straight against the Spartans. In that nine-game span, RU has outscored MSU 29-9, with two shutouts, and have outscored the Spartans 18-4 over the last six games.

Sunday: Michigan

Michigan enters the week at 6-3 overall and 1-1 in conference play, hosting Penn State first on Friday, in the first season for head coach Kristi Gannon Fisher. After dropping the season opener to No. 2 North Carolina, Michigan won five straight, including a ranked win over Wake Forest and a league game over Michigan State. They enter the week off a 1-2 stretch, with a win over Old Dominion snapping the a two-game losing streak to James Madison and No. 10 Maryland.

UM is third nationally in assists (3.22 per game), fifth in penalty corners (7.78), eighth in points (9.89), 11^th in scoring margin (+2.11) and 12^th in scoring average (3.33).

The Wolverines have been ranked in every conference meeting with Rutgers since RU joined the league in 2014, including what will be 12 of the 15 meetings being ranked as No. 12 or better.

Abby Tamer, a First Team All-American last season, leads the team with five goals, while Juliette Manzur paces the team with 13 points on four goals and five assists. Goalkeepers Hala Silverstein (1.11 goals-against-average, third in the Big Ten and 11^th in the nation, 68.8 save percentage) and Caylie Mcmahon (1.37 goals-against-average, 68.4 save percentage) split time in the cage.  

Rutgers is 4-13 against Michigan all-time. The Scarlet Knights are also 3-2 in the past five contests with the Wolverines after winning just one of the first 12 meetings.

The Scarlet Knights have four wins over a ranked Michigan team since 2019, with the Wolverines ranked seventh (2019), second (2021 Big Ten Tournament), 15^th (2023) and 16 (2023 Big Ten Tournament) in those games. The victory over No. 2 Michigan to win the 2021 Big Ten Tournament remains the highest ranked team that RU has ever defeated.

With a win…

A victory over Michigan State on Friday would represent

• 10 straight wins over Michigan State
• 13 wins overall against MSU, RU's most lifetime wins against any Big Ten team
• A 2-0 start to Big Ten play for the third time in four years and for the fifth time since joining the league in 2014

A victory over Michigan on Sunday would represent

• Second ranked win of the season (and highest ranked win – other ranked win was No. 16 UConn)
• 5^th ever win over Michigan
• 3^rd time defeating Michigan with the Wolverines ranked 12^th or better
• 4-2 in the past six games against UM
• Potentially a 3-0 start to Big Ten play for just the second time (previously: 2023)

Quotable: Meredith Civico

"I like that this team is growing in our mentality and fighting really hard. This team is still growing and developing and figuring out what we're good at. Every time we compete, we see more coming out of them and that's really exciting."

Milestone Tracker: Puck Winter, Defensive Saves

Puck Winter is on the top-10 all time in NCAA history in defensive saves. The reigning two-time NCAA stat leader in the statistic, Winter is Rutgers all-time leader, second in the Big Ten and 7^th in NCAA history, currently holding the NCAA lead this season.

1. Michelle Cargen, Holy Cross (1987-90): 58
2. Susan Crafts, Virginia (1982-85): 38
3. Amy Gielle, William & Mary (1993-96): 34
4. Beth Senic, Ohio State (1985-88): 31
5. Angie King, Quinnipiac (2013-16): 31
6. Chantal Lacroix, Holy Cross (1990-93): 30

T-7. Puck Winter, Rutgers: 29
T-7. Wendy Barker, Holy Cross (1985-88): 29
T-7. Monica McCorry, Bucknell (1998-01): 29

In-Season Accolades

Puck Winter: Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 29) | NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week

• Two defensive saves vs. Ohio State, two goals vs. Columbia

Martha Goodridge: Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 29)

• Game-winning goal in OT vs. Ohio State, goal and assist vs. Columbia

Puck Winter: Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 15)

• Had defensive save vs. Princeton, game-winning goal against No. 16 UConn

Emily Nicholls: Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 15)

• Six saves at No. 16 UConn, 11 saves against No. 11 Princeton

Emily Nicholls: Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2)

• Allowed zero goals, made 11 saves in wins over Wagner and Vermont

Preseason Accolades

Rutgers field hockey had three players named to the preseason Big Ten Players to Watch List. Anna Cogdell, Paulina Niklaus and Puck Winter were all recognized by the league office. The trio all earned all-conference recognition to close out last season as well.

Additionally, six student athletes from Rutgers were recognized by USA Field Hockey in the selections for the 2025 Senior Nexus Championship. Olivia Fraticelli, Dani Gindville, Maddie Kidd and Emily Nicholls were selected to compete, while Natalie Arnold and Maddie Olshemski were named as alternates.

Nicholls and Fraticelli were selected as well by USA Field Hockey for the U-21 Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp.

Recent History

Rutgers finished last season at 8-9 overall. The team was No. 14 in the RPI, the highest RPI for a team that did not make the NCAA Tournament. RU played eight of its 17 games against NCAA Tournament teams and 10 games against teams in the top-20 of the RPI, including six games against top-10 RPI teams.  Seven of the nine losses were to NCAA Tournament teams.

Entering the year, RU has won 55 of their past 86 games over the past four seasons. During the year, RU defeated four ranked teams: No. 3 Ohio State, No. 7 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State, and No. 17 Penn State. The team was ranked in the top-20 for numerous weeks in both the NFHCA Coaches Poll and the RPI rankings.

Since 2018, field hockey is 88-51, a winning percentage of 63%, with over half of those wins coming against ranked teams. Rutgers has 18 ranked wins in the past six seasons and 43 ranked wins since 2018, which includes 16 top-10 wins since 2021. In 2018, RU went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 32 years, then made two additional NCAA Tournaments over the next five years. The team set the program record for wins in 2021 (19) and in 2023 had the second most wins in program history (16). RU was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 after winning the Big Ten Tournament on home turf.  

International Knights

Rutgers field hockey alumn Katie Larmour was recently honored with her first ever selection to the senior national team for her country. Larmour earned six caps with Team Ireland this summer, playing against Team USA in an exhibition match in Charlotte, then competing for Team Ireland in early August in the EuroHockey Championships.

Alumn Iris Langejans also recently begun a professional career back home in the Netherlands, signing with HDM Dames 1 to play at the highest level of Dutch professional field hockey.

Civico Emphasizes Team Culture

Since her first day as head coach, the foundation of Rutgers Field Hockey has been the culture, about intentionally creating a family atmosphere that allows student-athletes to thrive as students, as athletes and as people. By attracting and recruiting the very best players and staff over her fourteen years as head coach, and giving them an environment in which they flourish, Meredith Civico has built the program into one of the top in the Big Ten – and the nation.  The core tenant for the program has been the establishment of a strong, positive culture where progression is expected, differences are celebrated and family is everything. The feeling of togetherness in the locker room and when competing is what makes this team special and unique.

"Culture is something you have to work at every single day; it doesn't just happen," Civico explained. "We have this acronym: RUTGERS that stands for our core values: Relentless, United, Tenacious, Gritty, Excellence, Respect, Strength. These aren't just words on a wall – they're how we live. We're not just coaching a sport; we're coaching people. Sports are played by people, and people are the most important."