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No. 7 Field Hockey Downs No. 18 Umass, 4-2

The Knights remain perfect, moving to 9-0

By John Catapano (Spacecat)
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Guillermina Causarano and Rutgers play Umass in a field hockey match | | September 24th, 2023 Amherst, MA
Rutgers Athletics

The No. 7 Scarlet Knights field hockey team continues to be the best story this fall on the banks, defeating the No. 18 Umass Minutewoman 4-2 on a rainy Sunday in Amherst. With the hard-fought road win, the Knights move to 9-0 on the season, including a perfect 8-0 on the road. With eight remaining matches, the win guarantees a regular winning season for the Scarlet Knights. The Minutewoman drop to 6-4.

Umass quickly took a 1-0 lead in the match, with Mali Haberhold scoring less than a minute into play. This was just the second time this season Rutgers has trailed and the first since a 1-0 deficit against Cal on August 28th in the Golden State.

In the 14th minute, the Knights’ Indy van Ek tapped a rebound off a save from Umass keeper Myrte Van Herwijnen for the equalizer. Less than a minute later, star junior Guillermina Causarano deflected a save into the net for her fifth goal of the season to give the Knights their first lead of the match, 2-1.

Causarano would score an open net goal in the 22nd minute to increase RU’s lead to 3-1, as she continued to play on while the Umass goalie paused due to an inadvertent whistle. The teams would play a scoreless third period, but in the 4th, Causarano would score again, her seventh of the season, this time from the top of the circle, and in the process, notching a hat trick.

Jess Beech would add the Minutewoman’s 2nd goal in the 60th minute, and the match would end, 4-2, in favor of the Scarlet Knights.

Notable

  • Causarano’s All-American season continues, leading the team with 20 points and tied with Puck Winter for the team lead in goals with 7
  • Umass led in total shots, 13-11, but Rutgers put more on net, 10-5.
  • Umass doubled Rutgers up on penalty corners, 6-3
  • The victory was Rutgers’ 4th against a ranked opponent this season
  • RU matched the program’s record for road wins in a season (previously done in 1993)
  • Rutgers claimed its first win over UMass in 15 all-time meetings. The squads matched up for the first time since 2007 and just the second time since 1994.

Next Up

The first of three consecutive home games, including two ranked Big Ten foes up next. RU hosts No. 8 Maryland next Thursday at 3 p.m., followed by No. 14 Michigan and Monmouth visiting the Bauer complex the following weekend.

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