PISCATAWAY, N.J.- No. 16 Rutgers field hockey saw two Scarlet Knights tabbed by USA Field Hockey for the U-21 Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp.
Emily Nicholls and
Olivia Fraticelli were recognized on the squad.
The duo was selected following their participation at the USA Senior Nexus Championships over the summer. Both student athletes were also recognized by the NFHCA as members of the Collegiate Watch List entering this season.
They are now progressing to the U-21 Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp, set for December 19 to 21, 2025 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Athletes remaining U-21 eligible who competed in the JWC will return to join U-21 Selection Camps in January. The 2025-26 U-21 USWNT will compete in the Junior Pan American Championship, a Junior World Cup qualifying event, in Santiago Chile from April 7 to 18.
Nicholls embarked on her redshirt freshman season this past weekend in style, beginning her collegiate career with 11 saves across two games while not allowing a goal. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after blanking foes by not allowing a goal in her 105 minutes played across wins over Wagner and Vermont. She also was the MVP of the Big Apple Tournament this past spring.
Fraticelli began her junior year 'On the Banks' this past weekend by scoring her first collegiate goal in the win over Wagner. Previously a U-21 Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp Athlete, she has played in 24 games as a Scarlet Knight. A product of Toms River North HS, she was the 2022 national scoring champion with 89 goals as a senior.
"This has been the most exceptional year yet for our Olympic development pathway - a true testament to the rising talent, elite performance, and world-class event delivery that continue to elevate our athletes and inspire our community," said Liz Sanders, USA Field Hockey's Chief Operating Officer. "As we enter into this next phase, we have Junior National Camps and international competitions ahead, the talent demonstrated this summer at Nexus Championship is an indicator of great success over this next segment."
"We are excited to build on the momentum of the 2025 Junior High Performance cycle which showed great promise for all our age group teams," commented Grant Fulton, USA Field Hockey's Director of Junior High Performance. "As we look toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, our Junior National athletes are training and pushing harder than ever before."
