Rutgers University
Princeton
Women’s Lacrosse Travels to No. 14 Princeton Wednesday Night
Feb 23 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Winners of three straight, Rutgers women's lacrosse (3-1) faces No. 14 Princeton (0-1) on Wednesday night at Sherrerd Field at Class of 1952 Stadium. First draw is set for 7 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.
The Scarlet Knights enter midweek action after downing Villanova, 15-12, last Saturday at Villanova Stadium. RU is on a three-game winning streak with victories over the Wildcats, Delaware and Monmouth, winning three games in its first four games for the seventh consecutive year under head coach Melissa Lehman.
| Last Time Out |
• Rutgers picked up its third win of the season with a 15-12 victory at Villanova over the weekend. With two minutes remaining and the Scarlet Knights up just two, senior Katie Buck secured her game-high 12th draw control to help RU run out the clock before classmate Lily Dixon scored an open-net goal in the closing seconds to secure the non-conference victory.
• Sophomore Caroline Ling produced a career-high seven points on five goals and two assists. Classmate Hilary Elsner, who grew up minutes away from the Villanova campus in Newtown, matched a career high with four goals, while rookie Kate Theofield added her second hat trick in three outings.
• RU forced Villanova into 20 turnovers, with Dixon and sophomore Bianca Chiarella leading the way with two turnovers caused apiece. Buck helped Rutgers to a 17-12 advantage on 50-50 opportunities thanks to a game-high 12 draw controls to go along with a game-high four ground balls.
| Dixon Approaching History |
• Dixon contributed four points on two goals and two assists in the win at Villanova, moving to 88 career helpers. The Grasonville, Maryland, native is just five assists away from passing Marin Hartshorn (2019-23) for the program assist record.
| Sutley #SCTop10 |
• Sophomore Delainey Sutley netted three goals last Wednesday against Monmouth, including a highlight behind-the-back cleanup goal in the first quarter that landed at No. 6 on Thursday's SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. Sutley is fourth on the team with 11 points (6G, 5A) this season.
| Ling on the Offensive |
• Ling has been one of the most effective offensive players in the Big Ten Conference through the first few weeks of the season. The Springboro, Ohio, native ranks third in the conference and 18th nationally with 15 goals and 3.75 goals per game. Ling has produced multiple goals in all four starts this spring, with a career-high five this past weekend at Villanova.
| Buck Shines on the Draw |
• Buck has established herself as one of the top draw takers in the Big Ten, currently second in the league with 7.50 draw controls per game. Buck has secured eight or more draw controls three times this spring, including her career-high 12 against the Wildcats.
| Tough Schedule |
• Including its season opener with Army, Rutgers is set to play eight programs ranked in the latest IWLCA Coaches Poll. The list includes four programs within the top 10 – No. 3 Maryland, No. 4 Northwestern, No. 5 Johns Hopkins, No. 6 Michigan, No. 14 Princeton, No. 18 Stony Brook, No. 20 Penn State and No. 22 Army.
| Against Princeton |
• The Tigers enter Wednesday after losing at No. 19 Loyola (Md.), 14-10, last Saturday in their season opener. Princeton was ranked No. 9 in last week's IWLCA Coaches Poll after earning a No. 6 preseason ranking.
• Meg Morrisroe produced a team-high five goals, while Jami MacDonald tallied five points on three goals and two assists in the loss to the Greyhounds.
• Princeton leads the all-time series, 15-4-1, which includes wins in their previous four meetings. The Tigers won last year's matchup, 20-8, on March 12, 2025 at SHI Stadium. Then-junior Ava Chiarella produced a hat trick, while then-sophomore Alex Popham added two goals in the loss.
| Up Next |
• Rutgers returns home to host Hofstra on Feb. 28. First draw from SHI Stadium is set for noon and will stream on Big Ten Plus.
