No. 22 Rutgers women's lacrosse to begin Big Ten play against Penn State
The Rutgers women's lacrosse team is preparing for its first Big Ten game against Penn State. The Scarlet Knights (5-1, 0-0) are coming off a 15-7 win against Oregon and will look to keep their momentum going against the Nittany Lions (2-4, 0-0).
No. 22 Rutgers has had a strong start to the season despite suffering a close loss to in-state rival Princeton, which is currently ranked No. 21.
Graduate student midfielder Cassidy Spilis was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Week for the fourth consecutive time this season after her performances against the Ducks (5-1, 0-0) and the Tigers (3-2, 0-1). Spilis has scored a conference-leading 26 goals and averages 4.33 goals per game, the 10th-most in the country.
Freshman midfielder Payton Tini was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second straight week. In her first season on the Banks, Tini has netted 10 goals and provided six assists.
The Knights have scored 85 goals so far this season. Junior midfielder and attacker Victoria Goldrick has been a key playmaker, dishing out a team-high 12 assists. Goldrick's two assists per game are the fourth-most in the Big Ten.
Senior goalkeeper Sophia Cardello has started all six games between the pipes and has a save percentage of 53.4, the fourth-most in the Big Ten. Rutgers will look to her to continue her strong performances in the cage.
After earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament last year, Penn State has had a shaky start to this season. The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 18 in the preseason but have since dropped out of the national rankings. Penn State has lost three straight games heading into Saturday's contest.
Kristin O’Neill leads the Nittany Lions with 23 points off 19 goals and four assists. The midfielder scored 4 goals and provided two assists in the team's 14-10 loss against Loyola Maryland. Gretchen Gilmore is another player to watch out for. Gilmore also netted 4 goals against the Greyhounds (5-0, 1-0).
Sydney Manning has served as the main goalkeeper for Penn State. The freshman has started 4 of the team's 6 games and has a 42.9 save percentage.
Last season, the Nittany Lions narrowly beat the Knights 9-7. Sophomore attacker Ava Kane led Rutgers with a hat trick and O'Neill led the Nittany Lions with 5 goals.
Overall, the Knights are 3-11 against Penn State but have a solid opportunity to improve that record and begin Big Ten action on the front foot.
The game will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday at SHI Stadium on Busch campus. The contest will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
For more updates on the Rutgers women's lacrosse team, follow @TargumSports on X.
