Rutgers University
Michigan
No. 25 Women’s Lacrosse Hosts No. 6 Michigan Thursday Night
Apr 08 | Women's Lacrosse
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 25 Rutgers women's lacrosse (8-5, 2-2) hosts No. 6 Michigan (10-2, 4-0), on Thursday night at SHI Stadium. First draw is set for 6 p.m. ET and will stream on Big Ten Plus, with Dom Savino and Marin Hartshorn on the call.
Thursday marks the first home game for the Scarlet Knights in a month, with RU playing four consecutive games on the road since its last home game on March 15 with No. 8 Johns Hopkins. Three of Rutgers' final four regular season games take place in Piscataway, which also includes matchups with Oregon (April 12) and No. 18 Penn State (April 18).
The Scarlet Knights are in the midst of playing four games against ranked opponents in their final five games of the regular season. RU already faced No. 1 Maryland (L, 18-1) before Big Ten Conference contests with No. 6 Michigan, No. 4 Northwestern (April 15) and No. 18 Penn State (April 18).
| Last Time Out |
• Rutgers had its three-game win streak snapped with an 18-11 loss at No. 1 Maryland last Saturday at SECU Stadium. Sophomore Hilary Elsner netted three goals, while senior Ava Chiarella and sophomore Delainey Sutley each added two scores. Junior Alex Popham tallied a goal and an assist.
• Graduate student goalkeeper Simone Koryszewski saved 12 shots. Senior Katie Buck secured a game-high seven draw controls. Senior Lily Dixon and sophomore Maddie Miceli each scooped up two ground balls.
| Building Its Resume |
• As of Monday, Rutgers possesses the eighth-hardest schedule in the NCAA, as its previous opponents own a combined .671 winning percentage. The Scarlet Knights also moved up to No. 14 in the latest RPI released this season.
• According to USA Lacrosse Mag, Rutgers owns the No. 11 SOS with no losses against teams outside the Top 30.
| Tough Month Ahead |
• The Scarlet Knights face three ranked opponents in their final four games of the regular season. RU has already faced six opponents ranked in this week's IWLCA Coaches Poll. The full list includes No. 1 Maryland, No. 4 Northwestern, No. 6 Michigan, No. 9 Johns Hopkins, No. 13 Stony Brook, No. 14 Army, No. 18 Penn State, No. 21 Princeton and No. 25 Ohio State.
Remaining Ranked Opponents
No. 6 Michigan (4/9)
No. 4 Northwestern (4/15)
No. 18 Penn State (4/18)
| #SCTop10 Regulars |
• Rutgers has appeared on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays four times this spring thanks to highlight goals from sophomore Delainey Sutley and freshman Kate Theofield.
- Delainey Sutley vs. Monmouth
- Kate Theofield at No. 14 Princeton
- Kate Theofield vs. Hofstra
- Kate Theofield vs. No. 8 Johns Hopkins
| Dixon the Facilitator |
• With 38 assists this season, senior Lily Dixon needs to helpers to pass Steph Kelly (2022) for the program's single-season record. Dixon is second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with 2.92 assists per game and became the program's first student-athlete to break 100 assists in a career earlier this spring.
| Buck Shines on the Draw |
• Senior Katie Buck became just the sixth student-athlete in program history to go over 100 draw controls in a season and currently leads the team with 110 this spring. Buck is second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally with 8.54 draw controls per game.
| Ling Midseason All-American |
• Sophomore Caroline Ling was named a Nike Lacrosse Midseason Media All-American, announced last week by ILWomen. Ling earned honorable mention laurels at attack, marking six consecutive season Rutgers women's lacrosse has landed at least one student-athlete on the prestigious list under head coach Melissa Lehman.
• Ling has enjoyed a breakout season, tallying a team-high 63 points on 43 goals and 20 assists this spring. Her 43 goals rank fourth in the Big Ten and seventh nationally, while her 3.31 goals per game are 23rd in the NCAA. Ling became just the 12th player in program history to hit 60 or more points in a season.
| Youth Movement |
• Underclassmen have accounted for 77 percent of the team's goals (134/173) and 65 percent of the team's points (183/282) this spring.
| About Michigan |
• The Wolverines enter Thursday with a 10-2 record, defeating then-No. 25 Ohio State, 10-6, on April 2 in their last time out.
• Michigan owns a perfect 4-0 Big Ten record, including wins over the Buckeyes, Oregon, Penn State and USC.
• UM leads the Big Ten and is third with a 0.657 draw control percentage. Michigan also owns the No. 9 scoring defense in the country.
• Emma Burke is ninth in the country with 9.75 draw controls per game. Elizabeth Johnson is tops in the Big Ten with an 8.14 goals against average and owns the 13th-best save percentage nationally with a .492 mark. Emma Bradbury leads Michigan with 31 goals this season.
• Michigan leads the all-time series, 6-5, and have won the past three meetings. Our last win over the Wolverines came on March 31, 2022 - a 13-8 victory at SHI Stadium. We're 3-1 all-time against Michigan in Piscataway.
| Next Time Out |
• Rutgers hosts Oregon on Sunday at SHI Stadium. First draw is set for 1 p.m. and will stream on Big Ten Plus. Sunday is the program's 'Scarlet Out', with fans encouraged to wear red to the game.
