PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 17 Rutgers field hockey is heading to the postseason. The Scarlet Knights will travel to Bloomington, Indiana this week, where Indiana University hosts the Big Ten Tournament.
Rutgers earned the No. 5 seed after tying for fourth place in the final league standings. RU will play in the first game of the event at 11 a.m.on Thursday, facing No. 4 seed Michigan, who is ranked 15
th nationally.
With a win, the Scarlet Knights would advance to the semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m., where No. 1 seed Northwestern is waiting. The Wildcats went 8-0, winning the league by three games, and earning a bye to the semifinals.
Quarterfinals contests will be streamed on B1G+ with the semifinals and championship game carried by the Big Ten Network. Jack Kizer and Kara Lentz will provide commentary.
About Rutgers
Rutgers enters the week with a 9-8 overall record and stand at No. 18 in the RPI. The RPI of 18 is the third best in the Big Ten, trailing just Northwestern (5) and Iowa (12). RU's strength of schedule ranks seventh in the nation, far better than any other Big Ten teams (Northwestern in second at 21). Rutgers' win over No. 11 RPI UConn is the fourth highest RPI win for any Big Ten team this year. All of the team's eight losses have come to teams in the top-21 of the RPI, including six against the top 15.
"The team is playing their best hockey of the season right now," head coach
Meredith Civico said. "We are playing connected, two touch hockey when we have the ball and gritty, tough team defense when we don't have the ball. We need to remain focused on the next game and play Rutgers Field Hockey."
Rutgers boasts two of the top 10 goal scorers in the Big Ten in
Olivia Fraticelli (10 goals) and
Sophie Kuiper (8 goals).
Olivia Fraticelli leads the team with 10 goals. She is just the second RU player over the past seven seasons to reach double-digit goals, joined by
Guillermina Causarano (12, 2023).
Freshman
Olivia de Zwaan was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for this week. She became the third different RU freshman to earn a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award this season. Previously,
Emily Nicholls and
Martha Goodridge had claimed Freshman of the Week awards. The native of The Netherlands has six goals on the season, third on the team. Her six goals are the most tallies by a RU freshman since Lucy Banatyne had eight goals as a freshman in 2021.
RU is second in the Big Ten in saves per game (5.82), defensive saves (5) and fourth in goals (2.65), scoring margin (0.97) and shutouts (0.24/game).
Emily Nicholls is sixth nationally in save percentage (78.4%, second in the Big Ten). She has 98 saves on the year, the first Rutgers goalkeeper to record 90 saves in a season since Shevaun Hayes made 103 stops in 2014-15, the first year for the Scarlet Knights as a member of the Big Ten Conference. If she passes Hayes' mark of 103, she will have the most saves in a season for any RU goalkeeper under head coach
Meredith Civico and the most since Rosalyn Wentko had 127 in the 2006 season.
Puck Winter's five defensive saves are second in the league and seventh nationally. She is one defensive save shy of tying the Big Ten's all-time career defensive saves record.
Rutgers' Big Ten wins came against No. 6 seed Indiana, No. 7 seed Ohio State, as well as Penn State and Michigan State, who did not qualify for the tournament.
Big Ten Tournament History
Rutgers is 5-9 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, qualifying for the event in 10 of the 11 previous seasons as a league member. Last season RU was the No. 4 seed and defeated host No. 5 seed Ohio State in the opening round (2-1) prior to a loss to No. 1 seed Northwestern (2-0). Starting with the 2021 Big Ten Tournament that RU hosted and won, the Scarlet Knights are 5-3 in their last four Big Ten Tournaments after starting 0-6 in the first six qualifications.
Rutgers at the Big Ten Tournament
2014: 3-0 Loss to 2-Seed Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
2015: Did not qualify
2016: 3-1 Loss to 1-Seed Maryland (College Park, Md.)
2017: 4-3 Loss to 4-Seed Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.) – round one on campus sites
2018: 1-0 Loss (2OT) to No. 4-Seed Ohio State – round one on campus sites
2019: 3-1 Loss to No. 3-Seed Northwestern (State College, Pa.)
Spring 2021: 2-1 Loss to No. 3-Seed Northwestern (Iowa City, Iowa)
Fall 2021: Big Ten Tournament Champions (Piscataway, N.J.)
3-1 Win over No. 7 seed Indiana
2-1 Win over No. 3 seed Penn State
1-0 Win over No. 4 seed Michigan
2022: 2-1 Loss to No. 3 seed Northwestern (Columbus, Ohio)
2023: 1-0 Win over No. 7 seed Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
2-1 Loss to No. 3 seed Maryland (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
2024: 2-1 Win over No. 5 seed Ohio State (College Park, Md.)
2-0 Loss to No. 1 seed Northwestern (College Park, Md.)
About Michigan
Michigan, 9-6 overall this season and 4-4 in league play, have won two of the past three Big Ten Tournament titles and are the defending champions, toppling Northwestern in last year's title game. The Wolverines are No. 21 in the RPI, with a win over No. 6 RPI Wake, holding a opponent strength of schedule of 28, with losses to number 29 and 34 in the RPI.
The Wolverines, who were 8-3 and 3-1 in league after defeating Rutgers on October 5, went 1-3 down the stretch, facing four ranked teams (losing to No. 2 Northwestern, No. 10 Iowa and No. 15 Ohio State, beating No. 17 Indiana in the finale).
Abby Tamer leads the team with eight goals and 18 points. Juliette Manzur has five goals and five assists. The Wolverines have split halves between their two goalkeepers all season long. Hala Silverstein has played 450 minutes, with a 1.06 goals-against-average and .784 save percentage. Caylie Mcmahon has played 434 minutes, with a 1.52 goals-against-average and .676 save percentage. Michigan has outscored opponents 37-19 on the year, but over the past nine games have been outscored 13-12.
About the Series
Rutgers is 4-14 against Michigan all-time. The Scarlet Knights are also 3-3 in the past six contests with the Wolverines after winning just one of the first 12 meetings.
Earlier this season, then No. 15 RU faced No. 12 Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Scarlet Knights took a 1-0 lead in the third quarter on a goal from
Olivia de Zwaan. However, the Wolverines scored on an untimed corner at the end of the third quarter, and tallied again in the fourth quarter to win 2-1.
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.
This will be the third meeting between Rutgers and Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. The only team RU has faced more in the Big Ten Tournament previously is Northwestern (four times), who will be RU's opponents if the Scarlet Knights defeat Michigan.
About Northwestern
If Rutgers defeats Michigan, they will advance to the semifinals on Friday to play a 1 p.m. game on Big Ten Network against Northwestern. Northwestern enters the tournament at 16-1 and 8-0 in Big Ten play. The lone loss came to Princeton, who is the No. 3 RPI team this week. The Wildcats are the defending national champions, posting a 23-1 record last year. NU, who also won the 2021 national championship, is 98-14 over the past five seasons and 60-4 over the past three years. Over the past five seasons, Northwestern only has one loss to a team outside the top-10 in the national rankings – No. 23 Rutgers in 2022.
Northwestern leads the nation in goals against average (0.47), shutouts (.65/game), are second in save percentage (.867) and scoring margin (3.17), and fourth in assists (3.53), points (10.92) and fifth in scoring average (3.64).
Ashley Sessa has a team-high 51 points on 18 goals and 15 assists. Ilse Tromp is second with 11 goals. Both players were All-Americans last season. Princeton transfer Grace Schulze, who had a hat trick against Rutgers last year, is third on the team with nine goals. Maddie Zimmer has four goals and eight assists this season. The 2024 NFHCA Player of the Year is a three-time First Team All-American.
The Wildcats have outscored opponents 62-8 this season. First year goalkeeper Juliana Boon has nine shutouts on the year. No other team in the Big Ten has allowed less than 17 goals on the year.
The teams matched up in Piscataway on October 17, a 5-0 Northwestern win. Ashley Sessa had a hat trick, while Shulze and Maja Zivojnovic had goals.
Big Ten Tournament Path
Should Rutgers defeat Michigan and Northwestern, the Scarlet Knights will advance to the Big Ten title game, which will be held on Sunday at 12 p.m. That game would be against a team from the other side of the bracket: No. 2 seed Maryland, No. 3 seed Iowa, No. 6 seed and host Indiana, or No. 7 seed Ohio State.
With a Win
- Second ranked win of the season
- 5th ever win over Michigan
- 4-3 in the past seven games against UM
- Third time in the past four Big Ten Tournament games winning the opening game of the tournament
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 6
th in NCAA history, currently holding the NCAA lead this season.
- Michelle Cargen, Holy Cross (1987-90): 58
- Susan Crafts, Virginia (1982-85): 38
- Amy Gielle, William & Mary (1993-96): 34
- Beth Senic, Ohio State (1985-88): 31
- Angie King, Quinnipiac (2013-16): 31
- Chantal Lacroix, Holy Cross (1990-93): 30
T-6. Puck Winter, Rutgers: 30
In-Season Accolades
Olivia de Zwaan: Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Nov. 23)
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 this season, 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.
