Rutgers University Athletics

Meredith Civico enters her 14th season at the helm of the Rutgers field hockey program in the fall of 2025. She has won 135 games in that time, reaching at least nine wins in 10 different seasons and leading the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a Big Ten Tournament Title. 

Civico guided the team to its first NCAA Tournament in 32 years in 2018, then in 2021 led the team back to the NCAA Tournament where it captured the team's first NCAA Tournament victory in 35 years. The team also captured the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Title, becoming the first program at Rutgers to win the Big Ten Tournament in any sport. In 2023, Rutgers returned to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the past six years. Civico has been responsible for the two highest single-season win totals in program history (19 in 2021 and 16 in 2023). Prior to 2018, RU had just two NCAA appearances, and now under Civico, RU has gone three times since then. 

Entering 2025, over the past seven seasons, RU is 84-47, a winning percentage of 64%, with 44 of the 84 wins coming against ranked teams. Dating back to 2004, the Scarlet Knights have 52 ranked wins. 46 of them have come over the past eight seasons, signaling the continued improvement of the program under coach Civico.

The 2024 season saw ranked wins over No.17 Penn State, No. 7 Iowa, No. 7 Ohio State and No. 3 Ohio State. The win over the third ranked Buckeyes came in the Big Ten Tournament. Puck Winter finished the 2024 season with 25 defensive saves for her career. In doing so, she became RU's career record holder in the statistic. Additionally, Paulina Niklaus became the newest RU All-American. 

In 2023, Rutgers got off to a tremendous start, with a 15-0 record to begin the campaign. That marked the longest season-opening winning streak by any Rutgers sport since 1986-87. The team ultimately won 16 games, second most in program history, defeating eight ranked teams along the way, and were nationally ranked each week, including eight polls in the top-10 and peaking at No. 3. Rutgers was 6-2 in conference play, second best in the league, marking the team's best conference finish since joining the Big Ten. RU had a program record six All-Region selections and five Big Ten selections, placing three on the First Team in each. RU had two All-Americans. Iris Langejans was a First Team All-American, in addition to the Big Ten and Regional Player of the Year. Puck Winter was a Second Team All-American in addition to being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. 

The 2022 season saw five ranked wins. The slate was highlighted by a home win over No. 3 Northwestern, the defending national champions. RU also defeated No. 15 UConn, No. 19 James Madison, No. 23 Ohio State and No. 25 Monmouth. Iris Langejans was named First Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-Region, Third Team All-American, while Puck Winter was the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year and was a Second Team All-Region selection, as was Guillermina Causarano.

The continual build of the program led to great heights with a historic season in the fall of 2021. The Scarlet Knights set program records for wins (19), ranked wins (13), top-10 wins (six) and Big Ten Conference wins (six).  Rutgers won the Big Ten Tournament Championship for the first time, capturing three wins in four days on its home field. The victory marked the first Big Ten Tournament championship for any Rutgers athletics program. During the tournament, Meredith Civico claimed her 100th career victory as head coach.

Following the Big Ten title, the Scarlet Knights entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and ranked No. 1 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll for the first time in program history. RU advanced to the Elite Eight with a First Round victory over No. 17 Delaware, the first NCAA Tournament victory for the program since 1986.

Following the season, Civico was named ECAC Coach of the Year. Rutgers also earned the Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year award. 

In 2021, she was named Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year following a 9-5 regular season that include four top-10 ranked wins (two over No. 4 Northwestern and two over No. 9 Penn State). The team was ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation and set a program record for Big Ten wins (5) and winning percentage (62.5%).

In 2019, Rutgers won double-digit games for a second consecutive season. Among those 10 wins were four ranked victories, as RU defeated No. 24 Maine, No. 6 Princeton, No. 21 Ohio State and No.  7 Michigan. It marked the second consecutive year that RU downed a pair of top-ten foes in the same year. RU matched its highest ever ranked win with the victory over Princeton and then set the largest ever margin of victory over a ranked Big Ten opponent with a 3-0 wn over No. 7 Michigan. 

Rutgers' four Big Ten wins this season matched the program's best since joining the league. The program compiled a three-game winning streak in Big Ten play for only the second time since joining the conference.

For the first time since 1986, the program had two All-Americans in the same season. Austyn Cuneo was named a Second Team All-American and Gianna Glatz was named a Third Team All-American. That duo was joined by Katie Larmour on the All-Big Ten and All-Region teams.The team also displayed excellence in the classroom. 15 members of the squad were named Academic All-Big Ten, with 94 percent of eligible team members earning the accolade, eight Big Ten Distinguished Scholars, 17 named to the National Academic Squad and two (Clayre Smith and Isabella Mancini) named NFHCA Scholars of Distinction. 

The 2018 season saw the program take another large step forward. The Scarlet Knights compiled a 13-5 regular season record, the most wins since 2008. The team earned at at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, the first one for the program since 1986. Program records were set in most conference wins (four), highest ranked opponent defeated (No. 6 Princeton and number of ranked wins (five - No. 6 Princeton, No. 7 Iowa, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 18 St. Joe's and No. 19 Delaware).

RU had two First Team All-Big Ten Selections for the first time in Gianna Glatz and Daphne Groothuis. Additionally, Linde van Schaik was named Second Team All-Big Ten. All three players were also named First Team All-Region, the first time the program produced at least three First Team All-Region selections since 1986. Groothuis was named a Second Team All-American, the program's first All-American under Civico and first for RU since 2008. 

The 2017 season was a highly successful one for RU, as the team posted a nine win campaign that saw the team spend eight weeks in the national rankings. Rutgers peaked as high as No. 18 in the country, finishing the year ranked No. 21. The squad set a program record by notching three ranked wins, over No. 23 Old Dominion, No. 19 Iowa and No. 12 Stanford. The overtime win against the Cardinal was the highest ranked team beaten in program history. Junior Linde van Schaik (First Team all-region, Second Team All-Big Ten), freshman Daphne Groothuis (Second Team all-region, Second Team All-Big Ten) and junior Austyn Cuneo (Second Team all-region) all earned postseason accolades under Civico's mentorship. 

In 2016, Rutgers won nine games, and made their second appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. The team claimed its highest ranked victory in program history by defeating No. 15 Iowa. Senior Alyssa Bull was named Second Team All-Big Ten, while underclassmen Linde van Schaik (First Team) and Katie Larmour (Second Team) were named all-region selections.

In 2015, Rutgers won seven games under Civico’s leadership. Freshman Linde van Schaik had a breakthrough debut campaign, earning Second Team All-Big Ten and All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors.

Civico guided Rutgers into a new era in 2014, as the team joined the Big Ten Conference. The Scarlet Knights qualified for postseason play for the first time since 2010, reaching the Big Ten Conference Tournament by claiming two victories over Big Ten foes. Back Sofia Walia was honored for an excellent sophomore season, being named to the First Team Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Mid-Atlantic Region and Second Team All-Big Ten.

In 2013, Civico was responsible for leading the program to a 9-9 finish, the first. 500 record at season's end for the program since 2008. The Scarlet Knights battled eight nationally ranked opponents, picking up a 1-0 win over No. 16 Drexel, and losing by just a single goal in five of those matchups.

Two of Civico's players earned postseason recognition from the 2013 campaign. Midfielder Sophie Wright and back Sofia Walia were each named to the 2013 All-BIG EAST Second Team and 2013 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team.

In her debut year, Civico led the Scarlet Knights to a 9-10 overall record. Civico guided RU through six matchups against nationally-ranked opponents, highlighted by a thrilling 3-2 victory over No. 19 Albany in the season opener. The Scarlet Knights lost by a single goal on three occasions against ranked opponents.

Civico would also mentor the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, Alyssa Bull, in her inaugural season. Bull's accolade marked the first player in program history to receive the honor. Additionally, Bull and teammates Lisa Patrone, Carlie Rouh and Jenn Staab were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team, while Bull and Patrone were named to the 2012 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team and Rouh was selected for the 2012 Division I Senior Game.

Under Civico's leadership, Rutgers had won at least nine games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999.

Off the field, Civico's teams have been impressive in the classroom. Most recently, Sarah Regn was recognized as a Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and winner of a Fullbright Grant. 

The 2017 team saw eight players named to the Academic All-Conference list. In the 2016-17 academic year, RU had 12 players named to the Big Ten All-Academic Team, following having 13 representatives on that list the year before. The team had 15 members named to the 2016 ZAG Field Hockey / NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad, with two players (Nicole Imbriacco and Victoria Crans) named Scholars of Distinction for holding a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher.

In 2014, Rutgers had 11 members of the All-Big Ten Academic Team, with junior Nicole Imbriaco receiving recognition for her unblemished 4.0 cumulative GPA. The team recorded a 3.51 GPA, which was the highest among Rutgers' teams and fourth among the nation's field hockey squads. Sixteen members of the team were named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad.

Former Rutgers field hockey standout Lisa Patrone was tabbed the field hockey recipient of the 2013-14 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award. Rutgers has been well represented on the BIG EAST All-Academic team, with eighteen members named in 2012-13 and seventeen in 2013-14.

The Rutgers field hockey team received the 2012 Gladiator by SGI/NFHCA Divison I National Academic Team Award as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), making them one of 63 teams recognized for achieving a team GPA of 3.0 or higher during the first semester of the 2012-13 academic year. RU was also honored with the 2012-13 Big East Team Academic Excellence Award for having the highest collective GPA (3.531) of any league team in its sport.

In addition to the team award, 13 Scarlet Knights were named to the 2012 Gladiator by SGI / NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad. To be named to the squad, student-athletes must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher through the first semester.

A highly decorated collegiate athlete at the University of Maryland, Civico continues to play field hockey competitively at the international stage and spent four years as a member of the USA Indoor National Squad. Civico has participated in the USA Women's National Field Hockey Championship. In 2013 she and then-rising senior Lisa Patrone earned spots on the New Jersey regional team, and were three of the 108 athletes participating in the 2013 Women's National Championship in Norfolk, Va. Civico was also a member of the Senior Indoor Squad that won the ArminenTurnier RohrMax Cup after three days of competitive international play in Perchtoldsdorf, Austria in January 2013. The win marked the first-ever gold for the U.S. National Indoor team at the international level. She also competed in Buenos Aires, Argentina in a series of matches against competitors from Argentina, Argentina U19 and Uruguay.

Civico spent time as the head coach for the U-16 National Indoor Team. She first assumed this position prior to the 2011-12 season.

Prior to being appointed head coach in January of 2012, Civico served as interim head coach for two months and was an assistant coach with the Scarlet Knights for two seasons. Civico enjoyed success in her first season on staff for the Scarlet Knights, helping secure a trip to the 2010 BIG EAST Tournament, the program's first appearance since 2003.

Civico spent the 2009 season as an assistant coach at Towson University, aiding in all aspects of the program. She oversaw recruiting, helped in tracking academic progress of student-athletes, and helped to coordinate team travel, among other duties.

Before her stay with the Tigers, Civico was an assistant for three seasons at the University of Vermont. She contributed on every facet of the team, from recruiting and scouting to the development of players. In addition, Civico also taught several classes at Vermont.

Civico commenced her collegiate playing career at Boston University, earning a spot on the 2001 America East All-Rookie team. She transferred to the University of Maryland, helping the Terrapins advance to the NCAA Final Four for three-straight seasons, including the 2005 ACC title and the 2005 NCAA National Championship.

Civico was a member of the NFHCA/Styx Academic All-American team in 2003 and earned a spot on the ACC Honor Roll during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns. Civico graduated from Maryland in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy.

While at Ocean City High School, Civico played on three state championship teams (1998-2000), was a member of the United States Field Hockey Association High Performance Mid-Atlantic team and was a high school All-American. She is a member of the school's Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.

Civico is a member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) and the United States Field Hockey Association (USFHA). In addition, she has been the head coach for the USFHA Futures Elite Program and the Mid-Atlantic Futures Elite Academy Site.
 

 MEREDITH CIVICO YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD

In the Media

• Civico Emphasizes Rutgers Field Hockey Team Culture
• Asbury Park Press Feature
• Ocean City Sentinel Feature
• NJ.com Feature
• Press of Atlantic City Feature
• Scarletknights.com: Know R Coaches