Rutgers field hockey slated for 2-game weekend against Monmouth, UConn
Following an unfortunate end to a dominant 2023 season, the Rutgers field hockey team kicked off its 2024 campaign with a 5-0 trouncing of Vermont on Sunday.
Now, the Scarlet Knights (1-0, 0-0) gear up for a two-parter this weekend against Monmouth and UConn. Below is a breakdown of both teams and what it will take for this No. 9 Rutgers squad to stay undefeated.
Friday versus Monmouth
The Knights' first game away from home will be a quick trip down the Garden State Parkway to face the Hawks (2-0, 0-0) in West Long Branch. The last time these two teams played was back in October of 2023, with Rutgers winning 4-2.
For the Knights, senior midfielder Guillermina Causarano will look to replicate her 2-goal performance from Sunday’s match against the Catamounts (0-2, 0-0). Alongside her will be fellow National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Watch List player and graduate student forward Kara Heck. Heck scored a goal in her debut donning scarlet on Sunday. She transferred in from Boston College, where she spent four seasons.
Jesse Eiselin will be tasked with defending the net from Causarano, Heck and co. Eiselin is off to a strong start for Monmouth, recording 22 saves and conceding just 4 goals. This includes three clutch saves in the second overtime period of a victory over VCU.
On the other side of the field will be Hawk forwards Jess Tucker and Sofia Fouces. In two games, the pair have tallied a combined 4 goals and two assists, accounting for roughly half of the team’s total goals thus far.
Redshirt junior back Puck Winter, another name on the NFHCA Watch List, along with sophomore back Olivia Beattie, will be on the defense, attempting to stop Tucker and Fouces. Winter needs no introduction, being named to the 2023 All-Big Ten First Team and earning the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Sunday versus UConn
Rutgers gets one day of rest before the Huskies (2-0, 0-0) travel to Piscataway for the Sunday spar. UConn has wins over Saint Joseph's and New Hampshire, outscoring its opponents 11-6.
A large part of the Huskies' strong start has been their balanced offense. In just two games, six different players have slapped one in the back of the net, and three of them have done it more than once. Sol Simone has a pair, while Sophia Ugo and Juul Sauer already have 3 goals apiece.
Looking to keep the UConn attack at bay will be redshirt senior goalkeeper Sophia Howard, who notched two saves on Vermont's nine shots in Sunday's game. Howard started all 20 games in 2023, recording 82 saves and allowing just 27 goals.
The Huskies' goalkeeper, Natalie McKenna, is off to a shaky start after a solid 2023 season. Through two games, Mckenna has allowed 6 goals and has seven saves on 19 shots faced. McKenna played in all 18 games for UConn in 2023, allowing 35 goals and logging 91 saves.
The Knights' match against Monmouth will start Friday at 3 p.m. and air on FloSports, while Sunday's clash against the Huskies will air on Big Ten Plus at noon.
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