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No. 16 Field Hockey edges No. 15 Uconn, 2-1

The Knights prevail in OT, winning the penalty shootout

By John Catapano (Spacecat)
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Rutgers and Uconn play a field hockey match in Storrs, CT | September 1st, 2023

A happy, long holiday weekend all. Note: I’ll have a women’s soccer recap following the No. 14 Georgetown match on Monday evening.

The Scarlet Knights field hockey team won their fourth consecutive road match during the season-opening seven-game road trip. After three consecutive wins on the left coast against UC Davis, Cal, and Stanford, the Knights returned to the right coast, taking on the No. 15 University of Connecticut Huskies at Nancy Stevens Field in Storrs on a cool, sunny first day of September.

Both teams played to a scoreless first half. Rutgers had the majority of chances with seven of the first nine shots through 20 minutes of play, including a penalty stroke attempt, but could not capitalize. Junior RU keeper Sophia Howard made two late saves before halftime to keep the Huskies off the scoreboard and the game scoreless heading into the half.

Six minutes into the 3rd quarter, star junior Guillerm Causarano scored an unassisted goal to break the ice and give RU a 1-0 advantage. Six minutes later, the Huskies’s Julia Bressler would tie up the game, and the teams would enter the 4th quarter tied 1-1.

The squads would play a scoreless fourth quarter and two overtime periods to keep the game tied heading into the penalty shootout. RU netminder Howard made two key saves in the 2nd overtime period to keep the game tied.

The score remained knotted up after the first round of five shooters. The second round continued to remain tied, coming down to the last shooter for each side. On RU’s final attempt, Mannheim, Germany junior Paulina Niklaus snuck the ball under Uconn keeper Natalie Mckenna for the score. On UConn’s final attempt, Howard nicely blocked the shooter and forced the shot high and wide, setting off a jubilant celebration as her teammates mobbed her.

NOTABLE

Courtesy Rutgers Athletics

  • Four student-athletes were placed on the Collegiate Watch List by the NFHCA. Guillerm Causarano, Ava Cickavage, Iris Langejans, and Puck Winter were all named. The watch list showcases potential 2023 All-Americans.
  • The win was the first ranked win of the season, the sixth ranked win over the past two seasons, the 19th ranked win over the past three seasons and the 23rd ranked win since the spring 2021 season.
  • Causarano has a team-leading three goals through four games and has tied her previous career-high three goals in a season (set last year).
  • Howard has a 0.46 goals-against-average and .895 save percentage through four games, both of which would be career-best marks.

NEXT UP

The Knights continue their seven-game road trip to open the season, playing at Villanova on Friday night and then at No. 10 Princeton on Sunday.

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