No. 9 Rutgers field hockey to host No. 13 Saint Joseph's, Miami this week
The Rutgers field hockey team continues its homestand this week with games against Saint Joseph's and Miami of Ohio. The Scarlet Knights (2-1, 0-0) will return to the field on Wednesday after a disappointing loss to UConn on Sunday.
No. 9 Rutgers fell 2-1 to the Huskies (4-0,0-0), with its only goal coming from redshirt junior midfielder Vicky Jure. Jure's goal tied the game in the third quarter, but the Knights allowed a late goal in the final frame and could not get back even.
Now, Rutgers is eager to return to work for the week ahead.
"We just have to have a little bit more composure, we just have to be more clinical in the circle when we do get chances," said head coach Meredith Civico. "(We were) disappointed with the result but, (we are) excited to get in and train."
The midweek matchup against the Hawks (2-1, 0-0) will be a tough one. No. 13 Saint Joseph's comes in off a ranked win against Penn State. So far, the Hawks' only loss this season was a 5-4 overtime loss against UConn.
Saint Joseph's is outscoring its opponents 12-8 and has controlled the ball well, attempting more than double the amount of shots as its opponents.
Lily Santi leads the Hawks with 11 points and 4 goals across just the three games. Santi also sits amongst the top 10 goal scorers in the country, averaging 1.33 goals per game.
Santi was named the Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week last week for her impressive performances against the Huskies and New Hampshire.
Civico says the Knights will be ready for Saint Joseph's, even with the Hawks' immense talent.
“We know Saint Joe's really well, they're a regional rival," Civico said. "Tuesday (we're) coming ready to train and push each other to be ready for a game that we know is going to be intense."
Rutgers' busy week will continue after the matchup with Saint Joseph's. On Sunday, the Knights will welcome the Red Hawks (2-1, 0-0) to finish off the week’s slate. Miami is coming in off a road contest against Iowa, in which the latter got the better of the former with a score of 2-0.
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