STORRS, Conn. - No. 18 Rutgers field hockey travelled to face a former BIG EAST foe on Friday afternoon, facing a 16^th ranked UConn squad picked preseason to win the league. The Scarlet Knights battled back and forth with the Huskies, and overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win in overtime.
 
Puck Winter scored the game-winning goal for RU in an extra session, giving the Scarlet Knights their first ranked win of the season. The team improved to 3-2 overall and dropped No. 16 UConn to 2-2 on the year.
 
Winter, Sophie Kuiper and Olivia de Zwaan were the goal scorers for RU. Each tallied their second goal of the season, and the trio shares the team lead in goals through five contests. Kuiper also picked up an assist on the game-winning goal. Emily Nicholls made six saves. 
 
Rutgers had a 15-12 advantage in shots (11-8 in shots on goal). Each team had three penalty corners.

Rutgers struck first with a goal just 12 minutes into the game. Puck Winter carried the ball into the circle, weaving through the defense as she push towards the goal. She sent a pass in front to Sophie Kuiper, and Kuiper pushed the ball at the defense. Kuiper's initial tries were halted by she stuck with the play and launched home a shot for an early 1-0 lead for the visitors.
 
RU's 1-0 lead would hold for nearly a half hour of gameplay. Then, in the final minute of the third quarter and the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the hosts tallied twice. The first goal for the Huskies came on a penalty corner, with RU making a series of saves, but UConn finally prevailed on a strong shot with just 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter on the third try at the corner. Then in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, Sol Simone carried the ball a long ways down the field and snuck home a shot at the near post for a 2-1 UConn lead. The two goals came just under two minutes of action apart and suddenly flipped RU's 1-0 advantage into a 2-1 deficit.
 
With six minutes remaining in regulation, RU pressed towards the net and Kuiper sent a shot towards the cage. Kuiper's shot was saved, then a try by Olivia Fraticelli towards an open cage was halted by a defensive save from a diving UConn player. However, RU kept on the ball, and it was the freshman Olivia de Zwaan on the spot to finish off the play and put home the equalizer.
 
In overtime, RU converted after six minutes of extra time for the game-winning goal. Puck Winter finished off a game-winner on a play that was set up from Anna Cogdell to Sophie Kuiper, and then Winter putting it home. 

Winter inserted a penalty corner to Cogdell, who shot the ball towards the cage. Kuiper was there for a redirect, and Winter rushed in from her position and knocked home the ball to give the Scarlet Knights the victory.

Rutgers flipped the momentum late in the contest to spur the comeback victory. The defense held UConn, who did not attempt a shot in the final 17 minutes of regulation and overtime. 
 

Postgame Notes

 
With The Win

• 53^rd ranked wins since 2012 and 50^th since 2017
• Sixth win over UConn
• Fourth win over a ranked UConn team since 2021
  • All four wins have come in extra time (two overtime games, one double-overtime game, one penalty shootout).
• 4-1 record in last five games vs. UConn after starting 2-30-1 in the first 33 meetings
• RU dealt UConn just their sixth loss in their past 25 games

 

Up Next

 
Rutgers is back home on Sunday afternoon after four straight road games. The Scarlet Knights host an in-state rival in No. 11 Princeton at noon in the team's annual Pride Game. It will be the first in a set of five straight home games at the Bauer Complex for the Scarlet Knights.