No. 15 Rutgers field hockey is set for a challenging home stretch, hosting top-ranked Northwestern on Friday and No. 11 Iowa on Sunday. The matches mark the start of three consecutive games against nationally ranked opponents, with No. 10 Maryland scheduled for the following weekend.
Friday’s match against Northwestern will be nationally televised by Big Ten Network at 4 p.m., featuring commentary from Jay Wilson and Kara Lentz. Sunday’s game versus Iowa will be available on B1G+ at noon, with Dom Savino and Marybeth Freeman providing coverage.
These games coincide with Rutgers’ Homecoming Weekend, during which Rutgers Athletics will promote its R NIL brand to highlight opportunities for student-athletes to benefit from their Name, Image, and Likeness. “Rutgers Athletics will elevate the R NIL brand through activations at all events over Homecoming Weekend,” according to the organization.
The weekend also includes Alumni Weekend activities. Letterwinners are invited to several events, including a Friday Happy Hour, a football game tailgate on Saturday as Rutgers faces Oregon, and further festivities on Sunday. Senior Day celebrations will take place Sunday, with seven seniors—Natalie Arnold, Dani Gindville, Puck Winter, Ashley Arnold, Erica Babitts, Paulina Niklaus, and Vicky Jure—set to be honored in a postgame ceremony. Team captains Niklaus and Jure will be recognized for returning for an additional season after being honored last year.
Rutgers enters the weekend with an 8-5 overall record and a 3-1 conference mark, having won four of its last five games and outscoring opponents 20-3 during that span. The team has posted four shutouts this season, three of which came in recent matches. Olivia Fraticelli leads with eight goals and 18 points, while redshirt freshman goalkeeper Emily Nicholls has an 83.7% save percentage and a 1.19 goals-against average. Nicholls’ 77 saves lead the Big Ten and rank her fourth nationally in save percentage. The Scarlet Knights are currently ranked No. 17 in RPI and No. 15 in the NFHCA Coaches Poll.
Northwestern arrives with an 11-1 record after suffering its first loss of the season against Princeton. The Wildcats, defending national champions, have maintained a strong record over recent years and have lost only once to a team outside the top ten since 2019—a defeat by Rutgers in 2022. Ashley Sessa leads Northwestern with 29 points, while Ilse Tromp tops the team with 11 goals. Maddie Zimmer, the 2024 NFHCA Player of the Year, is also a key contributor.
Iowa stands at 8-3 overall and is unbeaten in away games this season. The Hawkeyes have recorded wins over two top-20 teams and average 3.73 goals per game. Dionne van Aalsum leads Iowa with 19 goals this season.
Rutgers has never defeated a No. 1 ranked team; its highest-ranked win came against No. 2 Michigan in 2021. Since April 2021, Rutgers has achieved 17 top-10 victories and accumulated 42 ranked wins since 2018.
Puck Winter is among the NCAA’s all-time leaders in defensive saves and currently holds Rutgers’ program record as well as the NCAA lead this season. Winter has received several accolades this year, including Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week honors. Other team members have earned recognition from both the Big Ten and USA Field Hockey.
Reflecting on her coaching approach, head coach Meredith Civico stated: “Culture is something you have to work at every single day; it doesn’t just happen,” Civico explained. “We have this acronym: RUTGERS that stands for our core values: Relentless, United, Tenacious, Gritty, Excellence, Respect, Strength. These aren’t just words on a wall – they’re how we live. We’re not just coaching a sport; we’re coaching people. Sports are played by people, and people are the most important.”
The Scarlet Knights continue to build on their recent history of success, including multiple NCAA Tournament appearances since 2018 and consistent top-20 rankings.
